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Paris, the "City of Light"
a centre for art and culture
and a city for lovers!
Perhaps a less well-known side of the history of Paris
is its former reputation as an industrial centre.
Toward the end of the 19th century,
the rapid growth in industry caused an increased need for power stations.
Many of these plants were designed by Paul Friesé.
A civil engineer from Alsace.
His most impressive industrial construction is on quai de Jemmapes.
A complex now occupied by the paper manufacturer Exacompta Clairefontaine.
The building on the waterfront is in red and ochre brick...
...supported by visible steel girders.
The steel structure of the main building, which once contained the machinery, is more clearly visible.
With the opening of the Paris Metro in 1900,
several electrical substations were required to supply the network.
All were designed by Friesé.
A fine example is on boulevard Bourdon near place de la Bastille.
It is built on a metal structure with a brick facade.
On one side there is a massive metal-framed arched window.
This arch pattern is repeated in miniature above in the windows
and also in the brickwork itself.
Most of his surviving buildings are registered as historical monuments.
So, the next time you pass by a modest-looking brick building...
Look up!