Maison classée monument historique

The Villa Daumesnil stands out with its heavy timber framing and steeply pitched roof, a distinct remnant of the nineteen thirty-one Colonial Exhibition. While most structures from that event were temporary, this one was designed as a permanent pavilion for the French colonies in the Pacific. It was disassembled after the fair and moved piece by piece to its current location in Saint-Mandé. The architect, Albert Laprade, used traditional Polynesian building techniques, treating the wood with a deep, dark stain that remains visible today.