Arts et Métiers: origin of the name and station history
Served by: metro lines 3 and 11.
Why this name?
Lines 3 and 11 cross here, the first since 19 October 1904, the second since 28 April 1935. The station is named after the neighbouring Conservatoire national des arts et métiers, which originally trained technicians and engineers and now houses the musée des Arts et Métiers. It lies at the intersection of rue Beaubourg, rue Réaumur and rue de Turbigo, in the 3rd arrondissement. The original route of line 11 was to run further east, under rue du Temple, but the wider rue du Renard, rue Beaubourg and rue Réaumur were chosen instead.
Anecdote
The line 11 platform was dressed for the Conservatoire's bicentenary by the writer Benoît Peeters and the artist François Schuiten, authors of the Obscure Cities: riveted copper plates, large gears on the ceiling and portholes holding small scenes, such as an armillary sphere, the Telstar satellite or a water wheel. The platform has no advertising. In 1999 a train derailed in the station on line 11, without casualties.
Audio guide
Tribute to Jules Verne
When you get off the platform of line 11 at Arts et Métiers, you do not enter a metro station... but Captain Nemo's Nautilus! Designed by Belgian designer François Schuiten in 1994, it is entirely covered with riveted copper plates with portholes and gears on the ceiling, to give the impression of being aboard Jules Verne's famous Nautilus submarine.
This decor was installed to celebrate the bicentenary of the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts. It was imagined by comic book authors Benoît Peeters and François Schuiten, in a steampunk style that evokes a timeless machine.
The theme is in its place: the station is next to the Musée des Arts et Métiers, and you can see pieces from the museum's collection while waiting for the metro.
Around Arts et Métiers
- Musée des Arts et Métiers, 70 m away — The Conservatoire was created in 1794 at the proposal of Abbé Grégoire and moved in 1798 into the former priory of Saint-Martin-des-Champs. The museum displays Foucault's pendulum, the Blériot XI and Pascal's calculating machines.
- Marché des Enfants Rouges, 550 m away — The oldest covered market in Paris, opened in 1615, known for its gourmet stalls from around the world.
- Square du Temple, 400 m away — A peaceful garden laid out on the site of the former Templar fortress.