Ancienne CAF-CPAM

English translation

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History

Maubeuge was destroyed 90% in 1940, during the Second World War, and in 1945, André Lurçat was appointed chief architect and town planner for the reconstruction of the city. While he designed the overall plan, he built little there: only seven buildings, including the church of Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul. The CAF thus completed his work in Maubeuge. Lurçat combined a desire to preserve heritage with innovative town planning for reconstruction, which was completed in 1962. Guided by the principles of the modern movement (industrialisation, rationalisation, standardisation), it was an opportunity to rethink the organisation of the city's functions. The CAF is a new creation of public facilities, which intervened late as Lurçat saw his two projects for the town hall rejected. The architect was familiar with this type of programme, as he had already designed several funds for social security. It occupies block K in the south of the city. The building actually brings together two administrations, the social security fund and the family allowance fund, which share common services. The genesis is complicated, with several successive projects between 1958 and 1962. From an H-shaped plan Lurçat moved to an L-shaped plan, allowing for future extension if necessary. He worked on this project with architects Émile Fays and Henri Lafitte - the latter later being replaced by his son Eric Lafitte - and with engineers. The reserve of the plot is occupied by a car park, and a garden designed in connection with the building, and for which Lurçat chose the plant species. On the façade, the large development of glazed surfaces was required by the two funds. Lurçat had wished for town planning that was clear, green, sunny and airy, which is found in this building entirely horizontal in character and which was intended to be welcoming to the user, rejecting monumentality. Of great sobriety, it combines rigorous proportions and work on the set-backs in successive recesses. The exterior is in brick covered largely with small light grey stoneware tiles, the rest being painted. Lurçat highlighted certain details articulating the composition in yellow ochre. The windows have aluminium frames with for some a ventilation system in the divisions in smoked glass. Access is via a raised terrace. Externally the building has changed little, except for the colour of the projections and openings frames. Due to the central position of the building, the same care was taken with the side façades and rear façade as with the main entrance. In the garden remains part of the vegetation and the flower beds with cement borders. Inside the post-and-beam system gave great modularity for the layout, ranging from the individual office to the open plan, knowing that these spaces have been subject to modifications and renovations.