As the most populated town in the Île de France outside of Paris, with 120,000 inhabitants, it is now an active economic and tertiary hub and a family-friendly town reputed for its quality of life surrounded by a loop of the Seine, on the edge of the woods that bear the same name and on the outskirts of Paris’ 16th arrondissement. One of the main appeals of “Boulogne” (no-one who lives there uses its full name!) is, however, its architecture, a grandiose confluence of two movements, Art Deco and modern architecture. The greatest architects of the ’30s, such as Le Corbusier, Mallet-Stevens and Corrèges, turned the north of Boulogne into a playground for expression and experimentation. They left behind them elegant buildings, townhouses, detached houses and private mansions, a large number of which are listed, and which are naturally high on the radar of prospective real estate buyers. Not to be missed out on though, also in the north of the town, are the artist’s studios, private mansions and public buildings in the neo-classical style of the Franco-Cuban architect Emilio Terry. Boulogne and the Hauts-de-Seine département run enthralling guided architectural walking tours every week around this open-air museum: the “Parcours des Années 30”. The most poignant stop on the visit has to be in front of 6, Rue Denfert-Rochereau, where Le Corbusier applied the principles of the Five Points of Modern Architecture for the first time in 1927.
A spectacular architectural metamorphosis
Given its past merger of different urban communities and hamlets that originally had very little in common, present-day Boulogne-Billancourt has many faces that can be seen in its array of districts, each with very distinct personalities. In other words, there’s something to suit everyone! Between the residential streets in the north and east neighbourhoods, whether it’s the Porte de Saint-Cloud, Porte d’Auteuil, the Parc des Princes, the Bois de Boulogne and the area surrounding Roland-Garros, its bustling centre filled with shops around the town hall and the Les Passages Shopping Centre, or its southwest half lapped by the Seine, once a working and industrial area that has undergone a spectacular metamorphosis against a backdrop of architectural modernity. After a century under the Renault plant banner, the “Trapèze” district of Billancourt has given way to the “Rives de Seine”, an eco-neighbourhood that is reinventing the urban setting and making Boulogne one of the driving forces behind sustainable development in the Île de France. The spearhead of the transformation is the Île Seguin, where the former Renault plants have been replaced with an artistic and cultural forum containing a 12,000 sq.m (130,000 sq ft) public garden and a visionary events venue, La Seine Musicale. So what about property purchases? The price bracket is fairly broad, between houses and private mansions that sell for around €8,000 and €15,000 per sq.m, and apartments listed in 2024 between €6,000 and €11,000 per sq.m. As for new developments, potential buyers are looking at between €9,000 and €11,000 per sq.m for those still under construction in and around the Rives de Seine, and over €11,000 per sq.m for luxury developments in the town centre.
Looking beyond Boulogne-Billancourt? Discover exceptional real estate in Levallois-Perret, or explore luxury apartments for sale in Neuilly-sur-Seine. You might also consider investing in Saint-Germain-en-Laye or buying a villa in Rueil-Malmaison. Our listings also include stunning opportunities in Versailles real estate and charming homes in Saint-Cloud. Looking for Parisian suburbs with character? Visit our full selection of Paris surroundings real estate.
