Ministry of Economy and Finance

30 years ago, major works led to the creation of the Ministry of Finance in Paris. This imposing building whose architecture reinterprets the codes of classicism spans the Seine and the street to constitute "the monumental door which has always been lacking in the east of Paris" according to its architects Paul Chemetov and Borja Huidobro.

One of the points in common with the great classical monuments is the choice of materials and in particular natural stone. The exterior facades of the building, clad in Vilhonneur stone, thus respond to the Bercy bridge which adjoins the Ministry. The Vilhonneur stone, sanded and polished, also stands the interior walls of the lounges and halls. Cette pierre fut choisie d’un commun accord entre les architectes et François Mitterrand parmi différents échantillons livrés à l’Elysée. Polycor a répondu à cette commande extraordinaire – le plus grand chantier d’Europe en son temps – en fournissant plus de 30,000 m² of stones, extracted from the Moulins-sur-Tardoire quarry in Charente. To pay homage to this monument, the stone has been renamed Vilhonneur Bercy stone. Elle est toujours extraite et transformée de nous jours.