BETC Pantin Graffiti General

1931, PANTIN : the Chamber of Commerce and Industry opens the MAGASINS GENERAUX Building

20.000 square metres of concrete featuring 1.4km of gangways right next to the Ourcq Canal, where custom- free goods now begin to arrive and depart.

In 1958 over 120 employees are working at the Magasins.

But the 60s and 70s, and the changes in the agricultural food industries take their toll on the activities at the building, and at the start of 2000, the Magasins Généraux closes its doors.

The abandoned building becomes a playground for the local graffiti artists.

Already brimming over with history, the walls now have something new to say, and the plain grey of concrete gives way to a variety of colours.  The stylistic blending of the existing architecture with graffiti created on the building adds a touch of notoriety to this exceptional location.

Today, the sound of aerosol sprays is obscured by that of pneumatic drills. Advertising Agency BETC will be moving in as of 2016.

But before opening a new page in the life of the building, we had to make sure we were also preserving its past.

With this end in view, each square meter of the Magasins was photographed in full and translated into a virtual 3D model, thereby conserving the works inside and out and giving one and all a chance to relive the glory days of the building’s street art era.