Safran Head Office celebrates 40th anniversary

March 1975: under the supervision of architect Pierre Dufau, work got underway on the new Head Office of Snecma, at 2, Boulevard Victor, which, was renamed "Boulevard Martial Valin" in 1987. It was on a plot located between the 15th and 16th arrondissements, between Boulevard Victor and the boulevard périphérique (ring road) that the new Group Head Office would be erected. The new premises opened to welcome Group employees in April 1976, just one year after the premises were inaugurated.

The architecture of the building: like an aircraft without wings

Pierre Dufau (1908-1985) is one of the most renowned architects of the second half of the 20th century. The Head Office of Snecma, is one of his last buildings. The architect sought to harness a landscaped site in order to erect a building that was totally different to the architecture of typical Parisian buildings.

For the head office of an aerospace company, he drew inspiration from the shapes and materials used in the aerospace sector. The building, which comprises three adjacent longitudinal buildings, is white and, at the time it was built, stood out in Paris on account of its futuristic shape. The facade is made out of white or anodized aluminum panels which are similar to those used for tail-planes. The sunshades are inspired by ailerons and the rounded off roof by the shape of a fuselage[FD(1] .