1795
1970
France. Conseil général des bâtiments civils (1795-1970)
Initialement, le Conseil est constitué de membres temporaires, inspecteurs généraux, et de membres adjoints, inspecteurs divisionnaires ou rapporteurs. En 1838 un nouveau règlement vient réorganiser la composition de ce conseil : aux inspecteurs généraux sont associés deux membres issus des prisons et des monuments historiques ; et parmi les membres adjoints ou honoraires, les rapporteurs remplacés par des auditeurs, en l’occurrence de jeunes architectes chargés de seconder les inspecteurs généraux.
Un siècle plus tard intervient un changement notable dans l'organisation du conseil. Le décret-loi du 17 juin 1938 prévoit la création de plusieurs sections (sections des Travaux ; de l’Enseignement de l’architecture ; des Domaines nationaux ; des Honoraires, etc.). Si certaines sections voient le jour assez vite, d’autres ne sont créées qu’après-guerre. Ainsi, par exemple, la section des Bâtiments de l’enseignement n'est établie qu’en 1946. Elle compte dans ses rangs – outre le directeur général de l’Architecture, quelques membres du CGBC et des inspecteurs généraux des Bâtiments civils – de nombreux représentants des administrations de l’Enseignement et de la Reconstruction. Le but de ces sections spécialisées est de résorber l’engorgement d’affaires dont souffre le conseil général des bâtiments de France ; elles sont chargées de traiter tous les projets de travaux ou de construction dont le budget se situe en dessous d’un certain seuil. Avec l’inflation et la hausse des montants nécessaires pour réaliser les travaux prévus, ce seuil ne cesse d’évoluer au fil des années.
L'origine de ce service est ancienne. Elle remonte à la création par François Ier de la Surintendance des Bâtiments du Roi. Sous Louis XIV, Colbert crée un Conseil des bâtiments, ancêtre du Conseil général des bâtiments civils. Surintendance et Conseil ont un rôle important dans l'histoire de l'architecture civile royale de l'Ancien Régime, mais ne couvrent à aucun moment l'ensemble des bâtiments publics.
Lors de la Révolution française la loi du 27 avril 1791 confie au ministère de l'Intérieur « la Direction des travaux pour la confection des routes, ponts et autres ouvrages publics et des bâtiments et édifices publics », qui devient peu après la « Commission des travaux publics ». Puis le 20 frimaire an IV (11 décembre 1795) le Ministre de l'Intérieur Bénezech crée le « Conseil d'examen des bâtiments civils de la République » , ancêtre du Conseil général des bâtiments civils. Cette instance est chargée de contrôler l'utilité publique des bâtiments projetés, l'exécution des travaux et les dépenses. Le Service des bâtiments civils auquel est lié le Conseil des bâtiments civils reste dans la compétence du Ministre de l'Intérieur jusqu'en 1839, puis passe dans les attributions du ministère des Travaux publics (1833, 1839-1852) avant de rejoindre les Palais Nationaux au ministère d’État (1852-1862), pour revenir, après la chute du Second Empire, alternativement sous la tutelle du ministère des Travaux Publics (de 1870 à 1882 et de 1890 à 1895) et sous celle de l'Instruction Publique. Lors de la création du Ministère des Affaires culturelles en 1959, le service lui est rattaché au sein de la Direction de l'architecture.
Les attributions de ce service (et donc de son conseil) varient considérablement selon les périodes et les régimes gouvernementaux. Très vite, construction et entretien des palais nationaux sont attribués à la Maison de l'Empereur puis du Roi, puis au Ministère d’État sous le Second Empire. De même, plusieurs ministères (Cultes, Justice, Finances, Affaires étrangères, Armée, Instruction publique) mènent nombre de leurs projets de travaux et de construction sans solliciter l’avis du conseil des bâtiments civils. Il faut également souligner l'antagonisme persistant entre le Service des bâtiments civils et le Service des monuments historiques créé en 1838, qui contrôle les travaux exécutés dans les monuments historiques par le Service des bâtiments civils : deux services d'architecture coexistent ainsi au sein d'une même direction.
Dans une Notice historique sur le service des travaux et sur le conseil général des bâtiments civils depuis la création de ces services en l’an IV (1795) jusqu’en 1886, l’architecte Gourlier, inspecteur et membre du conseil, définit ainsi les missions du conseil des bâtiments civils :
« Il examine les projets d’après les programmes qui ont dû être dressés préalablement, et sous les divers rapports des convenances quant au service et aux localités, de l’art, du goût, de la solidité et du choix des matériaux.
Il juge particulièrement les concours ouverts pour la rédaction des projets.
Il s’assure avec l’aide du bureau des contrôles, de l’exactitude des devis descriptifs, métriques et estimatifs, de la convenance des prix et des sous-détails, de la bonne rédaction des cahiers des charges, etc.
Il exerce une surveillance supérieure sur l’exécution des travaux, et s’assure si elle est conforme aux projets et devis approuvés et aux règles de l’art de bâtir, ainsi que d’une sage économie.
Il donne son avis sur les procès-verbaux de réception et sur les décomptes des travaux, d’après l’examen détaillé du bureau des contrôles.
Il se prononce que les honoraires des architectes et sur les réclamations des entrepreneurs.
Il examine les plans d’alignement généraux et partiels pour Paris et toutes les autres villes, et donne son avis sur les questions contentieuses et de voirie urbaine ou municipale.
Enfin, il est consulté sur les procédés nouveaux et sur les moyens de construction qui peuvent être inventés et proposés ; il indique les perfectionnements qui lui semblent désirables quant à l’étude et la pratique de l’art. »
(Notice historique…, Première partie. Paris, Imprimerie nationale, 1886, pp.27-28).
Si donc, le périmètre d’action du conseil des bâtiments civils a considérablement varié au fil du temps, les grands principes de ses missions sont restés stables même si, périodiquement, au cours du XIXe et XXe siècle, on parle de réformer le service. En le rattachant à nouveau au Ministère des Travaux publics (entre 1890 et 1895), on tente de lui redonner son rôle de « bâtisseur de la République » ; en 1911 un décret réorganise le conseil général et le contrôle des services d'architecture de l’État, mais sans grand effet. Le décret de Jean Zay du 17 juin 1938 est encore plus ambitieux : le Conseil doit avoir « un caractère général et englober tous les travaux importants exécutés avec les deniers de l’État soit directement, soit à l'aide de subventions » ; son avis est donné dès l'origine même du projet. Le décret du 31 août 1945 donne au conseil son titre de « Conseil général des bâtiments de France » pour lui faire jouer un rôle important dans l’œuvre de reconstruction de la France. Cette instance poursuit ses activités jusqu’en 1970.
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