place

Lavatory Madeleine

Art Nouveau architecture in ParisBuildings and structures in the 8th arrondissement of ParisMonuments historiques of ParisPublic toilets
Lavatory6
Lavatory6

The Lavatory Madeleine is a public toilet on Place de la Madeleine (next to La Madeleine) in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Built in 1905, it was built to showcase a new type of underground public toilet. It was the first of its kind in France, and the most luxurious. Inspiration came from London, were underground public toilets had existed since 1889. Lavatory Madeleine was lavishly decorated in the Art Nouveau style, and equipped with a range of toilet options in different price classes. Some modifications were made in the 1930s and 50s, and notably in the 1980s when the men's section was closed and transformed into a service area for telecommunications. In 1989-1990 a first restoration was carried out, but the establishment was closed to the public in 2011. Continuous problems with water penetrating the ceiling prompted a complete restoration in 2022–2023, with the aim of restoring the public toilet to its former glory. The establishment is today run by an association and is open to visitors for a fee. It is a designated monument historique (national heritage site).

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Lavatory Madeleine (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Lavatory Madeleine
Place de la Madeleine, Paris 8th Arrondissement of Paris (Paris)

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Website Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: Lavatory MadeleineContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 48.869722222222 ° E 2.3247222222222 °
placeShow on map

Address

Foyer de la Madeleine

Place de la Madeleine
75008 Paris, 8th Arrondissement of Paris (Paris)
France
mapOpen on Google Maps

Website
foyerdelamadeleine.fr

linkVisit website

Lavatory6
Lavatory6
Share experience

Nearby Places

Madeleine bombing
Madeleine bombing

The Madeleine bombing was a bomb attack carried out on 15 March 1894 by the anarchist militant Désiré Pauwels at the Madeleine church, facing the French National Assembly in Paris. The attack occurred during the latter half of the Era of Attacks (1892–1894) and aimed to strike a symbol of the Catholic Church and one of the principal churches of the Parisian bourgeoisie. Pauwels arrived at the church but detonated his bomb prematurely at the entrance before he could position it. He died shortly afterward from a gunshot wound to the head, possibly self-inflicted as he would have attempted suicide to avoid capture by police. No other casualties or injuries were reported, though the church sustained damage and required restoration. This bombing, along with other attacks during the Era of Attacks, marked an early shift in terrorist strategy: instead of targeting specific individuals, it focused on symbolic locations—in this case, the Madeleine church as a stand-in for a precise human target. This shift became a hallmark of modern terrorism but was poorly understood by contemporary media, which dismissed the attack as a senseless act without grasping its ideological motivations. The French press reacted with disgust and scorn, ignoring Pauwels' courage or resolve. The incident also highlights the growing role of forensic science in criminal investigations. Pauwels’ body was so severely disfigured and mutilated by the explosion that it became unrecognizable, necessitating identification by forensic experts—who successfully confirmed his identity.