Abstract
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Bureau and Conseil Général des Bâtiments Civils et des Palais Nationaux found themselves in a very weakened position. Both underwent a slow but steady process of modernization, which began before the Great War and continued until 1945. Such continuity of state action during such a troubled period is bound to raise questions. This paper will first demonstrate how the reforms undertaken during the French State regime were part of a reformist approach by the Bureau and the Conseil Général, pursued since 1908, to centralize control over the construction and maintenance of State buildings. We will then analyze the human and political factors behind this continuity. Finally, we will look in more detail at the day-to-day practices of the Conseil Général de Bâtiments Civils, to show how continuity and innovation were linked in its actions during this difficult period.
