Heis a historic bookstore, currently in danger. Lardanchet House, founded in 1947 in the former building of the Émile-Paul Frères publishing house which published, before the First World War, Great Meaulnes by Alain-Fournier, threatened with closure. The rental contract for this bibliophile shrine near the Élysée Palace has indeed ended.
Will the owner of the building, the company GF Pierre, affiliated with the insurance company Generali, divest from the institution taken over in 1975 by Pierre and Dominique Meaudre and currently managed by their two sons? “I requested a renewal of our lease on the 1stuh July 2024. It’s a waste,” said Bertrand Meaudre, who co-manages the bookstore with his brother Thierry. Hope is still there. In fact, Lardanchet’s home was threatened in 2013. The lessor then changed his mind, after ten months. This way, the bookstore can remain on site.
However, if lawyers representing both parties cannot reach an agreement this time, the bookstore could be lost. A legal expert has actually been appointed to estimate the amount of eviction compensation that current tenants can receive. He should present his conclusions in the coming months.
“The problem is that we are not candidates at all. We want to continue our activities within our own territory,” explain the brothers, who were originally founded in Lyon in the 1920s by Henri Lardanchet (1875-1935).
Operators’ current concerns are twofold. “First of all we were afraid lost business because we couldn’t stay close to our customers who were mostly local residents or local hotel guests. We are also worried that the eviction compensation money that should have been paid to us will be “eaten up” by the work compensation money that the owner has requested for a period of fifteen months. », says Bertrand Meaudre.
A place that is appreciated by customers
The amount of compensation for occupying the premises, in fact, can far exceed the current rental amount. This is why tenants prefer a new rental agreement to be signed on time. Contacted, the Generali France group which took over the real estate assets of the company “Le Continent”, the owner of the building yesterday, did not respond to our interview request. According to its annual activity report, the company owns 65 buildings in Paris with a total area of almost 70,000 m2.
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Meanwhile, lovers of beautiful books who have been meeting for almost eighty years at 100, rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, are still in suspense. Those who love art books continue to visit the ground floor where Thierry works. The book lovers went upstairs where, in a corner office with walls covered in beautiful volumes, Bertrand presented them with rare editions. “It’s hard to concentrate on our work with the sword of Damocles hanging over our heads. Moreover, we always pay the rent on time,” he whispered.
Many neighbors appreciate the bookstore remaining open until 8:30 p.m. in the evenings and regularly held meetings around books. Two years ago, the Lardanchet house dedicated an exhibition to Michel Houellebecq, in his presence. On November 19, Thierry and Bertrand Meaudre plan to present the correspondence between Jean Cocteau and Lucien Clergue published by Actes Sud. An opportunity to discover the bonds of friendship that unite writers and photographers.
