French Communist Party headquarters in Oscar Niemeyer: for sale?

Last week rumors circulated about a possible sale of the headquarters of the French Communist Party (Parti communiste français or PCF) in Paris, designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.

The landmark building, located in the Plaza of Colonel Fabien was designed and built between 1967 and 1972, when the party still accounted for 22.5% of French voters (only in 1978 was overtaken by the Socialists).

The rumor of the sale was denied from the direction of the PCF:

"The place is not for sale, among other things because we do not have anything else to offer to the banks when asking for a loan."

It would not be the first time that the French Communists have to resort to their artistic heritage to fill their coffers downcast. A few years ago sold the space called Marx's work with La Gioconda mustache, Duchamp, and are now considering doing the same with a tapestry of Ferdinand Léger and a large window that was next to his wife.

As for the Niemeyer building, caused much controversy when he was first hired by a fashion brand to make a parade in their units. An act was hardly carried out four decades ago. View to the Prada models parading in the flagship building must have been at least somewhat, and troubling sorprendete. Similar to the feeling of entering a work of architecture known by the back door without asking permission from the guards and escape.

Then there is another problem that goes beyond the 50 million euros it costs. Because the building is a historic building so it can not be changed. Find someone you're interested in a building of symbolic and not easy for the PCF and is difficult to maintain, as we do not receive the equivalent of 1.7 million euros annually from the Soviet Union before the fall of the wall Berlin.

Photographs of the author.