After World War II, the French government had organised the state-owned radio and television channels into a single body,
Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (RTF). However its offices and studios were spread out over forty different locations in Paris. In 1952 the decision was made to construct a central headquarters which would house all the offices and studios in one location. The government acquired a 38,000 square meter tract of land in the 16th arrondissement on the banks of the
Seine for the future building. Previously the site of a gasworks which had been decommissioned in 1928, and then a stadium, the location was considered ideal because of its proximity to the
Eiffel Tower and its radio transmitters. A competition was held in 1953 to choose the architect. The winner from the 26 entrants was Henry Bernard who had won the
Prix de Rome in architecture in 1938 and had participated in the post-war reconstruction of
Caen. The final model of the Maison was exhibited in March 1959 at the newly opened
Centre of New Industries and Technologies (CNIT). The building was completed four years later and officially inaugurated by
Charles de Gaulle on 14 December 1963. In his speech de Gaulle emphasised the importance of broadcasting and of the building itself as a symbol of France's grandeur and modernity: Radio is a human activity, in other words a collective activity. It is undoubtedly nourished by the skill of individuals. But to be valid, it needs the combined effort of teams. And this is why this complex and imposing, but unitary and circular building is a sign of the organization, concentration and cohesion that are necessary for its audience and its influence. In March 2003 the Paris Prefect of Police ordered the evacuation of the central tower because it no longer met fire-safety regulations. The 368 personnel who worked in the tower were transferred to another building on Rue du Général-Mangin. However, by this time the entire building was in need of major upgrading, repair, and refurbishment and a debate ensued as to whether it would be more appropriate and economical to build a completely new headquarters for Radio France. In the end it was decided to renovate the existing building with most of its personnel and broadcasting stations operating there during the project despite the extra costs this would entail. The process began in 2004 when an international competition was announced for the contract to design and carry out the renovation. In October 2005 the contract was awarded to
Architecture-Studio, with
acoustical engineering by
Nagata Acoustics and
Lamoureux and scenography works by
Changement à vue, and work began shortly thereafter. The initial budget for the work was
€384 million, revised upwards in 2007 by €33 million to include an underground car park and a new organ for the main auditorium. The building was re-opened to the public in November 2014 with a gala concert by Radio France's two orchestras, the
Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France and the
Orchestre national de France, in the Maison's newly constructed Grand Auditorium. In 2016, the renovated Studio 104 reopened with a concert featuring both classical music and performances by
Eddy Mitchell and
Agnes Obel. However, final touches to the building and its landscaping would continue into 2017, lasting until late-2022. On 10 January 2021, the building was renamed
Maison de la Radio et de la Musique. Radio France announced the completion of all rehabilitation works on the building on 2 December 2022. ==Main public spaces==