On paper, the decree of July 5 (published on July 11 in the Official Journal) is good news for the defenders of the heritage of Butte-Rouge, in Châtenay-Malabry (Hauts-de-Seine): the decision of the Ministry of Culture creates a Remarkable Heritage Site protecting the Garden City of the 1930s.
But the chosen perimeter only encompasses a small half of the architectural and landscaped ensemble, according to the plans proposed by the town hall of Châtenay-Malabry. This perimeter proposal had however been rejected in June by the results of the public inquiry, and had not received a favorable opinion from the National Commission for Heritage and Architecture in September 2023.
With her days on Rue de Valois numbered, Rachida Dati has chosen to disregard the strong opinion of the investigating commissioner, who recommended extending protection to the entire site. The public inquiry had collected more than 70% of contributions against the perimeter proposed by the city of Châtenay-Malabry.
The town hall has long been planning a real estate development operation on the site of the garden city, including the destruction of certain buildings. The adopted perimeter excludes significant land reserves from the protected area, leaving the field open to these operations: the buildings bordering the avenue de la division Leclerc, where a tram line now runs, and those located on the edge of the Verrières state forest. The Cité des Peintres has also left the protection perimeter.
In its contribution to the public inquiry, the association “Sauvons la butte rouge” denounced the inconsistencies of the SPR proposed by the town hall, cutting certain streets in two without any heritage justification. The complete protection of the site is supported by the G7 heritage associations, as well as many figures in architecture and heritage (Lacaton & Vassal, Christian de Portzamparc). In 2022, the NGO Europa Nostra placed the Butte-Rouge on its list of the seven most threatened European sites.
