A little history of Lyon city hall
And also
The tops
The first city hall used to be in a house called hôtel de la Couronne ("Crown's house"), located 13 rue de la Poulaillerie. A very narrow and uncomfortable place!
So consuls needed to go elsewhere. In 1646, they raised a brand new city hall on the location of the old Terreaux moats. Simon Maupin designed plans with Gérard Désargues and architect Jacques Le Mercier.
Between 1652 and 1672, Germain Panthot decorated it, while Martin Hendrecy, Jacques Mimerel, Nicolas Bidau and Nicolas Lefebvre made sculptures. This new city hall looked like a rectangular building flanked by 4 detached houses, all around a courtyard.
The western façade, overlooking place des Terreaux, was Renaissance style. But a terrible fire damaged everything in September 1674!
Oh my gosh... a complete reconstruction began in 1699, made by famous Jules Hardouin-Mansart: his brother-in-law Robert de Cotte continued the building site one year later.
The site lasted from 1701 to 1706. Between 1854 and 1866, architect Tony Desjardins restored the city hall. Sculptures on the façade were re-carved by Guillaume Bonnet and Fabisch.