YMCA-Paris

Inaugurated in 1893, the headquarters of the YMCA Paris houses the world’s oldest basketball court in its original state.

Site History

The YMCA, founded in 1844, fosters the spiritual, intellectual and physical development of young people. Present in 124 countries, this secular association is open to all. The YMCA Paris was founded in 1852. Architect Émile Bénard, winner of the Grand Prix de Rome in 1867, designed its headquarters at rue de Trévise, inspired by models of American YMCA buildings. Inaugurated on May 7, 1893, the complex brought together in one place, for the first time in France, a gymnasium, a restaurant, a bowling alley, a swimming pool, reception and conference rooms, a concert hall and theater, a library, a billiards room, a hostel and a creamery. The gymnasium is of major heritage interest: It houses the world’s oldest surviving basketball court, which hosted the first basketball game in Europe in 1893.

About the Project

The YMCA Paris has been in need of restoration for decades. Major work will be done for the entire complex, to be undertaken in phases. The first phase includes treatment of the basement, ground floor and first floor of the section containing the gymnasium, theater and reception-bar-patio area; the creation of accessibility and installation of fire safety devices on all parts of the building overlooking the courtyard; rehabilitation of the hostel; and bringing the building up to code.

YMCA Paris Today

A major site in the history of sports and Franco-American relations, the YMCA will be restored in the context of the Summer Olympics in Paris. This restoration is much needed to enhance the site and its facilities and bring them up to code, in order to allow the YMCA Paris to better fulfill its mission: to provide lodging and meals for students and young workers at some of the lowest prices in the city, allowing youth from other parts of France and abroad to transition into Parisian life. It will also enable the YMCA to offer its facilities, including sporting facilities and the 270-seat theater, for use by local cultural associations in addition to organizing its own programming, thus enriching the city’s cultural and community life.