Gathered in a building that has already largely risen from the ground, Romain Soubeyrandirector of CentraleSupélec, and Fatah Aggounemayor of Gentillylaid the first stone of the new Paris campus of the engineering school based in Gif-sur-Yvettein Essonne.
As Romain Soubeyran indicated, this “major real estate investment in Paris” is at the heart of the development of CentraleSupélecwhich aims “to attract and train the best international talents to put them at the service of reindustrialization in France”. It was made possible thanks to the support of the CentraleSupélec Foundation, “who manages it on behalf of the school and invested part of its own funds in the purchase, from the developer Réalités, of the off-plan building”.
A major real estate investment for CentraleSupélec
The building takes place in a constrained space, between the ring road (interior side), and the cemetery of Gentillyon the edge of the City of Paris property. Students will benefit from the proximity of the Poterne des Peupliers T3a stop, the RER B Cité universitaire station, and the Italian Gate.
Equipped with a surface of 5 710 m2 on six floorsit will be able to accommodate 1,350 people. According to the Ory.architecture firm, it “diverts the codes and constraints of the site, to make it a signal building with flexible lines for motorists on the ring road side, as well as a welcoming address for users and open to the city on the Paris side”.
On the ground floor level there will be a reception hall, a catering area and an amphitheater. The floors will house classrooms and spaces dedicated to projects carried out with the school's partners. THE rooftopwhich can accommodate up to 100 people, will give a “breathtaking view” in Paris, Gentilly, and the Val-de-Marne. In terms of energy, the building will integrate photovoltaic panelsas well as a system of heat pumps. Some 1,300 m2 green spaces are also planned.
CentraleSupélec already present in Paris intramuros
This re-establishment in the capital has, in reality, already started quietly. The school rents premises near Montparnasse (15e arr.), particularly for training reasons, and Station F (13th arr.), to facilitate the development of its start-ups.
The creation of this new Paris campus, however, constitutes a project of a completely different scale. “It corresponds to a major development of the direction and strategic perspectives of the school”recalled Romain Soubeyran.
As he explained, CentraleSupélec was until now essentially an engineering school, recruiting most of its classes at the end of prepas. “We had 25% foreign students, generally from countries that clearly identify French engineering schools. That being said, we see that the engineering needs are colossal. Reindustrialization, climate changedigital revolution… The sectors are numerous. But for the moment, France does not know how to answer it”, he continued.
Offer diplomas to international standards
Who says need for engineers, says training. But “the pool is limited in France”. The school considers that if we want “change gear” on the subject, it is necessary to attract “international talents, including in countries that do not know what a French engineering school is”. Hence the idea of the strategic plan to propose diplomas au standard internationalthat is to say of type bachelor et master of science.
“For these students, who can come from all over the world, being located in Paris is an irreplaceable asset.”, added Romain Soubeyran, believing that he was not the only one to make this choice. Whether it is American universities or French business schools established in the regions, they all set their sights on the capital.
“This is truly a considerable asset. First in terms of image. Then, because these international students will be more exposed to the French culture in all its richness”, he insisted. This attraction for Paris was further strengthened following the organization of Olympic and Paralympic Games in the capital.
The Paris campus of CentraleSupélec delivered in 2025
However, Romain Soubeyran assured him, Paris campus of CentraleSupélec will not be compartmentalized compared to that of Gif-sur-Yvette. “In this sense, the current implementation was the best we could find. Thanks to the lines 14 and 18we will have the easiest public transport connection imaginable”, he rejoiced.
Students on the Paris campus will be able to engage in sporting and community activities, or even take courses by going to Gif, all in less than 30 minutes. But we will still have to wait December 2025 to see the delivery of the sitebe effective.
Supélec was the first to leave Paris in 1927.
As Romain Soubeyran recalled, most of the engineering schools formerly located in inner Paris have left the capital. Supélec was probably a “pioneer”, crossing the ring road to settle down at Malakoff in 1927, before leaving the inner suburbs for Gif-sur-Yvette in 1975. Centrale followed suit in 1969, settling in Châtenay-Malabrythen on the Saclay plateau in 2017, the date of its merger with Supélec.
Two buildings, named Eiffel and Bouygues, were created as a result in Gif. The historic Supélec building (named Bréguet), 50 years old, has been undergoing renovation since its closure at the end of 2023, as Romain Soubeyran indicated in our columns.
