Council of the Five Hundred

 

          Palais Bourbon started simply as a luxurious dwelling for the Duchess of Bourbon. It was a symbol of her political rank and extreme wealth as well as her highly fashionable and artistic tastes. However, throughout the years, it was to slowly but surely evolve into a historical and valuable meeting place to house the various legislative branches of France. This progression from aristocracy to democracy, clearly prominent in the built environment of the French people, would symbolize the transition of France as a whole. 

 

          When Duchess de Bourbon first erected this opulent structure, it stood little more than for a show of her power. As Palais Bourbon was passed through the hands of royalty, including Louis XV and Prince de Condé, it remained to be just that. However, after it was abandoned by Prince de Condé, July 1789, at the very start of the French Revolution, the grand home was deserted: no owner and no usage. Nevertheless, it was declared national property in 1791, placing the architectural masterpiece at the beginning of its path towards democracy. In the beginning, it was used as various trivial reasons, considering its significant and imposing structure. For instance, Palais Bourbon was used as a prison, storehouse for military convoys and as premises for the public works board. Many did consider it quite strange that the magnificent and furthermore new compound was not being used for more consequential reasons. Therefore, in the autumn of 1795, when the Thermidorian Convention searched for an appropriate building to house the Council of Five Hundred, the new assembly, Palais Bourbon was of course an immediate choice. Among several benefits, there is one particular reason why this building was chosen to house the legislative assembly. Palais Bourbon was located a respectable distance away from Palais du Luxembourg, housing the Directors. This distance between the two clearly symbolized the separation of of the executive and legislative powers so well outlined in the principles of democracy: the separation of powers. The distinction made so early on in the history of France between different branches of the government clearly testifies her devotion towards democracy.

 

          Palais Bourbon continued to thrive in the name of democracy throughout the French Revolution, Bourbon Restoration and the formation of the Republic. For example, the Thermidorian Convention appointed Alphonse de Gisors and Lecomte Véronique to construct a chamber within the building for the Council of Five Hundred to meet. This included a gorgeous hemicycle praised after its construction in 1957; this was a significant improvement from the former rooms available, since they were all rectangular or elliptical in shape. Furthermore, Palais Bourbon continued in its development as the years accumulated. in 1827, the state reacquired the building and commissioned Jules de Joly to metamorphose it into an exemplary seat of parliament. Today, it deepens and enriches the built environment of France by adding notes of flowing historical meaning and significance that, at the same time, blends in well with the modern environment of France.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

President's Desk

 

          Specific structures within Palais Bourbon also symbolize its intimate connection with democracy. One such example is the President's Desk. Through intricate details in the design that can only be seen with a knowing eye, it ardently testifies towards democratic ideals. First of all, the desk is purposefully compact and small instead of being a colossal mass of glinting designs, measuring only 1.63 meters wide by 94 centimeters high. This decision was made to ensure that the President's Desk would not dominate the Speaker's Tribune located in the same vicinity. Thus, the voice of the citizens is shown to be welcomed and the voice of the executive branch quietened.

 

          In addition, the mahogany construction is embellished with four uniform and bronze female heads reproduced from a proposed Temple to Equality, which was designed by Jean-Nicolas-Louis Durand and Atelier Pierre Thibault. This reproduction highlights the importance of the equality of citizens, another major principle of democracy. Furthermore, although the desk is slightly raised to show the President's authority during debates and meetings, it was at the same time painstakingly positioned so that the highest bench row of the hemicycle would be higher than the President's desk. This simple yet clear positioning demonstrates that the occupier, the President, is the ‘primus inter pares,' or in other words, the planner and organizer, instead of the definite Assembly director. This lends strength to the voices of the people and their representatives instead of the President, highlighting yet another prized democratic ideal.