[4] In July 1357, Étienne Marcel, provost of the merchants (i.e. mayor) of Paris, bought the so-called maison aux piliers ("House of Pillars") in the name of the municipality on the gently sloping shingle beach which served as a river port for unloading wheat and wood and later merged into a square, the Place de Grève ("Strand Square"), a place where Parisians often gathered, particularly for public executions.

He appointed two architects: Italian Dominique de Cortone, nicknamed Boccador because of his red beard, and Frenchman Pierre Chambiges.

The House of Pillars was torn down and Boccador, steeped in the spirit of the Renaissance, drew up the plans of a building which was at the same time tall, spacious, full of light and refined.

[8] In 1835, on the initiative of Claude-Philibert Barthelot, comte de Rambuteau, préfet of the Seine département, two wings were added to the main building and were linked to the façade by a gallery, to provide more space for the expanded city government.

In 1852, during the plebiscite in favor of Napoleon III, the Hôtel was decorated with the colors of the Emperor and the imperial proclamation was made there.

The existing government escaped via a tunnel built in 1807, which still connects the Hôtel de Ville with a nearby barracks.

Already, early that morning, the Commune added to the flames one of the finest and most historic buildings of all Paris – the Hôtel de Ville itself.

In its despair, a scorched-earth policy had now become the retreating Communard's automatic response, and by 11 a.m. the Hôtel de Ville was a sea of flames.

But Delanoë recovered and did not lose his zeal for access, later converting the mayor's sumptuous private apartments into a crèche (day nursery) for the children of municipal workers.

On the ground and first floors, each bay features semi-circular and rectangular windows topped by mezzanines, framed by pilasters and columns.

This floor is surmounted by a Mansard roof crowned by an open gallery with corner pedestals supporting flame vases.

[24] The central ceremonial doors under the clock are flanked by allegorical figures of Art, by Laurent Marqueste, and Science, by Jules Blanchard.

[25] The statue on the garden wall on the south side is of Étienne Marcel, the most famous holder of the post of prévôt des marchands (provost of the merchants) which predated the office of mayor.

[28][29] The salle des fêtes (ballroom) was designed as a "republican" replica of the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, built two centuries earlier.

[30] The salle à manger d'honneur (formal dining room) features extensive use of carved oak.