fondation

Prestige and Performance

La Maison de la Chimie is one of France’s oldest conference centres. It enjoys a prime location in the heart of Paris close to the Boulevard Saint-Germain and just minutes from the French Parliament and main ministries. The building itself is a fine example of an old private mansion, or hôtel particulier, dating back to 1708, with two wings added in the early 1930s.

Extensive facilities on a single site

La Maison de la Chimie has three different-sized conference halls, 27 conference rooms and reception rooms laid out around a 900-square-metre private garden. These extensive facilities can cater for all types of event, including scientific symposiums, medical conferences, exhibitions, corporate communications events, political conventions, concerts and even fashion shows.

Customised services

La Maison de la Chimie has the technical facilities and services to create an optimum working environment for your specific requirements. We can provide overhead projection, video and satellite transmission systems, computer networks, simultaneous interpretation, press facilities, conference room and hostess services, and exhibition stand installation.

Full catering flexibility

La Maison de la Chimie uses the best caterers in Paris to guarantee the same high quality of service as its own reception facilities. There are seven kitchens on the premises, serving everything from breakfast and refreshments through to buffets, cocktails and finger buffets, luncheons and gala dinners, all planned with the greatest of care. We can serve up to 1,500 meals a day.

La Maison de la Chimie Foundation

The La Maison de la Chimie Foundation was born from a proposal, first mooted in France before World War I, to build a chemists’ guildhall to encourage contact and exchanges between scientific societies and industry and between the scientific societies themselves.

But it wasn’t until 1926, during preparations for the centenary of the birth of Marcellin Berthelot, the distinguished French chemist (1827-1907), that the proposal was enthusiastically revived and acquired an international dimension.

The Foundation was created in 1928 as a public interest organisation, with specific responsibility for managing the project. It took several years to raise the finance, choose the location and complete the building works. La Maison de la Chimie was finally inaugurated in 1934, and its fiftieth anniversary was celebrated in style on 16 November 1984.

The Foundation is responsible for maintaining and managing La Maison de la Chimie. It also organises activities for chemists from around the world, encouraging them to use 28 rue Saint-Dominique as a place to meet and share ideas and experiences.

Acquisition and Conversion of the
La Rochefoucauld d’Estissac Mansion

This 18th-century mansion with its elegant proportions originally had a total area of 4,800 square metres including the courtyard and garden. Its central building and two wings overlooked the main courtyard to the south, fronting the rue Saint-Dominique, and the interior garden to the north.

It was built in 1708 and lived in by Frédéric-Maurice de la Tour, the Count of Auvergne and Lieutenant General to King Louis XIV, before passing to his son Cardinal Henri de la Tour d’Auvergne.

In 1764 it became the property of the Count of Caraman, a Field Marshal who was promoted in 1780 to Lieutenant General to King Louis XVI. The family emigrated during the French Revolution, returning to Paris in 1801. The mansion remained in the family until 1820, when it was bought by Count de La Rochefoucauld, a French ambassador. His son, the Duke of Estissac, and his descendants kept it until 1929.

The location and the mansion were suitable for the La Maison de la Chimie project. The purchase price was 13 million French francs, including two million for the furniture and works of art.

The French government gave its agreement and submitted a bill to Parliament, which was approved unanimously by both Houses and enacted on 8 August 1929. The Foundation’s ‘public interest’ status was granted by decree on 12 August 1928. An international fund-raising campaign in 1930 amassed 24,895,240 French francs, the equivalent of around €10.5 million today.

The architectural policy was to preserve the building’s overall layout and style, which gave it its charm. The exterior of the central building remained untouched and all interior decoration—woodwork, floors and wall coverings—were restored. This huge building was fitted out with the most up-to-date facilities, harmoniously blending the original features with the 1930s additions.


Prestige and Performance La Maison de la Chimie is one of France’s oldest conference centres. It enjoys a prime location in the heart of Paris close to the Boulevard Saint-Germain and just minutes from the French Parliament and main ministries. The building itself is a fine example of an old private mansion, or hôtel particulier, dating back to 1708, with two wings added in the early 1930s. Extensive facilities on a single site La Maison de la Chimie has three different-sized conference halls, 27 conference rooms and reception rooms laid out around a 900-square-metre private garden. These extensive facilities can cater for all types of event, including scientific symposiums, medical conferences, exhibitions, corporate communications events, political conventions, concerts and even fashion shows.
			Customised services La Maison de la Chimie has the technical facilities and services to create an optimum working environment for your specific requirements. We can provide overhead projection, video and satellite transmission systems, computer networks, simultaneous interpretation, press facilities, conference room and hostess services, and exhibition stand installation. Full catering flexibility La Maison de la Chimie uses the best caterers in Paris to guarantee the same high quality of service as its own reception facilities. There are seven kitchens on the premises, serving everything from breakfast and refreshments through to buffets, cocktails and finger buffets, luncheons and gala dinners, all planned with the greatest of care. We can serve up to 1,500 meals a day.
La Maison de la Chimie Foundation The La Maison de la Chimie Foundation was born from a proposal, first mooted in France before World War I, to build a chemists’ guildhall to encourage contact and exchanges between scientific societies and industry and between the scientific societies themselves. But it wasn’t until 1926, during preparations for the centenary of the birth of Marcellin Berthelot, the distinguished French chemist (1827-1907), that the proposal was enthusiastically revived and acquired an international dimension. The Foundation was created in 1928 as a public interest organisation, with specific responsibility for managing the project. It took several years to raise the finance, choose the location and complete the building works. La Maison de la Chimie was finally inaugurated in 1934, and its fiftieth anniversary was celebrated in style on 16 November 1984. The Foundation is responsible for maintaining and managing La Maison de la Chimie. It also organises activities for chemists from around the world, encouraging them to use 28 rue Saint-Dominique as a place to meet and share ideas and experiences.

Acquisition and Conversion of the La Rochefoucauld d’Estissac Mansion This 18th-century mansion with its elegant proportions originally had a total area of 4,800 square metres including the courtyard and garden. Its central building and two wings overlooked the main courtyard to the south, fronting the rue Saint-Dominique, and the interior garden to the north. It was built in 1708 and lived in by Frédéric-Maurice de la Tour, the Count of Auvergne and Lieutenant General to King Louis XIV, before passing to his son Cardinal Henri de la Tour d’Auvergne. In 1764 it became the property of the Count of Caraman, a Field Marshal who was promoted in 1780 to Lieutenant General to King Louis XVI. The family emigrated during the French Revolution, returning to Paris in 1801. The mansion remained in the family until 1820, when it was bought by Count de La Rochefoucauld, a French ambassador. His son, the Duke of Estissac, and his descendants kept it until 1929. The location and the mansion were suitable for the La Maison de la Chimie project. The purchase price was 13 million French francs, including two million for the furniture and works of art. The French government gave its agreement and submitted a bill to Parliament, which was approved unanimously by both Houses and enacted on 8 August 1929. The Foundation’s ‘public interest’ status was granted by decree on 12 August 1928. An international fund-raising campaign in 1930 amassed 24,895,240 French francs, the equivalent of around €10.5 million today. The architectural policy was to preserve the building’s overall layout and style, which gave it its charm. The exterior of the central building remained untouched and all interior decoration—woodwork, floors and wall coverings—were restored. This huge building was fitted out with the most up-to-date facilities, harmoniously blending the original features with the 1930s additions.

La Maison de la Chimie Foundation

Acquisition and Conversion of the La Rochefoucauld d’Estissac Mansion

Acquisition and Conversion of the
La Rochefoucauld d’Estissac Mansion