In brief
- Starting price set at 2 million euros for this city-centre property complex.
- Auction organised from 24 to 26 November 2026 on the Agorastore Immo platform.
- An architectural complex of 5,256 m² listed as a Historic Monument since December 2025.
This listing on the inventory of Historic Monuments, decreed at the end of 2025, represents a major heritage milestone for this exceptional site in the prefecture of Haute-Garonne. The official label recognises the cultural, technical and historical value of a structure that has endured through the ages without losing any of its splendour. For future buyers, this listing is synonymous with prestige, but it also implies a rigorous regulatory framework for any future work on the building. Restoration and interior design work must be carried out in close consultation with the competent State services, thereby ensuring the preservation of the site’s history and the safeguarding of the period features that make it unique.
- Final transfer of the public services occupying the premises scheduled for summer 2027.
The progressive vacancy of the administrative spaces constitutes a major logistical step for the State services in the Occitanie region. This relocation, scheduled to be fully completed by the summer of 2027, will allow teams to move into more modern infrastructure adapted to contemporary requirements for energy transition and workplace comfort. This transition also ensures that the future buyer of the hôtel particulier will have full and vacant possession as soon as the transfer is finalised, facilitating the rapid implementation of future rehabilitation or conversion projects for this immense property complex.
In Toulouse, the State is offering for sale the Georges Pauilhac hôtel particulier, an architectural complex with a floor area of 5,256 m² located at 1-3 rue Roquelaine, with bidding starting at 2 million euros. This property complex, managed by the Pôle régional de l’immobilier de l’État d’Occitanie, will be sold via an online auction organised from 2pm on 24 November to 4pm on 26 November 2026 on the Agorastore Immo platform.
The implementation of this online public auction procedure reflects the State’s commitment to conducting its property disposals with the utmost transparency. The Georges Pauilhac hôtel particulier enjoys a prime location in the heart of the Toulouse metropolis, a particularly dynamic area where land of this scale is extremely rare. The management of this operation by the Pôle régional de l’immobilier ensures rigorous monitoring of the file, offering potential investors all the legal and technical guarantees required to position themselves on an asset of such heritage importance.
A unique alliance between Art Deco and modernism
The aesthetic identity of this property complex rests on a striking and harmonious contrast between two major periods of twentieth-century architectural creation. The first part, the original hôtel particulier, is inspired by the refined codes of the Belle Époque and the beginnings of Art Deco, characterised by meticulous attention to detail, noble materials and elegant proportions. The red brick façades, typical of the Toulouse tradition, interact with sculpted stone elements that bestow an immediate majesty upon the historic residence.
The second part, built several decades later, brings an assertive modernist dimension to the complex. This extension, with its clean and geometric architectural style, reflects post-war functional research. Far from detracting from the original building, this structure offers generous volumes, large openings letting in natural light, and a spatial organisation geared towards productivity and clarity. The articulation of these two eras around a vast inner courtyard forms a unique architectural ecosystem, offering unparalleled versatility of use for future development projects.
An architectural masterpiece between Art Deco and modernism
Situated on the corner of rue Roquelaine and boulevard de Strasbourg, the site brings together two major architectural eras structured around an inner courtyard. The historic building was constructed in 1910 by the architect Barthélémy Guitard for the founding family of JOB cigarette papers. To this employer’s residence was added, in 1962, a modern extension designed by the Toulouse architect Jacques Villemur. A state-owned property for seventy years, this building benefited from enhanced heritage protection when the hôtel particulier and the extension were listed as Historic Monuments by decree on 10 December 2025.
The choice of architect Barthélémy Guitard in 1910 to design the Pauilhac family home was not coincidental. The founders of JOB cigarette papers, true captains of industry in the region, wished to build a residence reflecting their industrial success while embracing the modernity of their time. Several decades later, Jacques Villemur’s intervention in 1962 respected this heritage while adapting the complex to the functional needs of the public administration. This dual signature makes this site a textbook case in the history of local architecture, fully justifying the ministerial decision to grant it Historic Monument protection to preserve this tangible trace of Toulouse’s urban and economic development.
The vacancy of spaces and the reorganisation of services
Occupied until now by the Réseau Canopé and various directorates of the Toulouse academy rectorate, the complex is preparing to turn a page in its administrative history. The administration is preparing the transition to other metropolitan sites. The teams concerned will gradually move to the Halle aux grains sector, within the rehabilitated Rhapsodie building, as well as the facilities of the Centre national d’enseignement à distance in Le Mirail. This vast logistical reorganisation is scheduled to be completed by summer 2027 for all staff concerned.
This major redeployment responds to a global modernisation strategy for the working conditions of public employees. By grouping its services within the Rhapsodie building, ideally located near the Halle aux grains, and on the CNED campus in Le Mirail, the administration seeks to rationalise its occupied floor space while integrating buildings that meet the strictest environmental standards. For the city of Toulouse, this departure frees up an exceptional historic land space right in the city centre, offering an opportunity for renewal in this residential and business sector of rue Roquelaine.
The precedent of major State property disposals
The disposal of the Georges Pauilhac hôtel particulier is part of an urban transformation process initiated more than twenty years ago in Toulouse. The vacancy of military and administrative brownfields has allowed many of the city’s districts to be redesigned, transforming enclosed spaces into genuine shared living areas. These successive mutations bear witness to the ability of the municipality and economic players to reinvent historic sites while preserving their soul and characteristic architecture.
A major disposal for State heritage
The marketing of 1-3 rue Roquelaine is part of an ongoing policy of optimising public heritage in Toulouse. In the past, the Ministry of Defence had already disposed of the 33 hectares of the Cartoucherie between 2003 and 2006, land which has since become an emblematic eco-district. The conversion of the Caserne Niel in the Saint-Agne district and the sale of the 13 hectares of the Centre d’essais aéronautiques de Toulouse for the Guillaumet project also illustrate this mutation. The most massive transaction remains that of the former Compans-Caffarelli administrative city, a 30,000 m² complex offered at 18 million euros when it went on sale.
These various examples demonstrate that the sale of State heritage in Toulouse is not a new phenomenon, but rather a major lever for metropolitan development. Whether it is the industrial conversion of the Cartoucherie or the residential redevelopment of the Guillaumet site, each project has helped to boost the local property market while creating new services for residents. The Georges Pauilhac hotel, with its central position and historical protection, represents a particularly prestigious new step in this policy of enhancing public property.
The enhancement of an industrial and family heritage in the heart of Toulouse
The saga of the Pauilhac family and the JOB cigarette paper company is intimately linked to the industrial boom of Toulouse and its region at the turn of the twentieth century. By commissioning this hôtel particulier in 1910, Georges Pauilhac did not only wish to build a family home, but also to assert the economic power of his group. The combined use of traditional Toulouse brick and innovative metal structures for the period highlighted this constant link between art de vivre and technical modernity. This historical dimension lends a strong symbolism to the current sale, that of passing on a testament to Haute-Garonne’s industrial success.
Preserving this industrial spirit, while adapting it to the requirements of a modern world, will be one of the main challenges for the future buyer. The presence of state reception rooms with preserved decors, delicate wood panelling and sculpted fireplaces in the historic 1910 section represents an exceptional decorative heritage. Future developments must integrate these ornamental treasures into a coherent overall project, thereby ensuring the longevity of the visual identity that has characterised this building for over a century.
Key benchmarks of this auction in Toulouse
To successfully complete this extraordinary acquisition, candidates must comply with a precise timetable and strict administrative procedures defined by the Direction des finances publiques. The digitisation of the procedure allows investors to remotely consult a set of technical diagnostics, architectural studies and occupancy histories. This digital transparency aims to secure every stage of the transaction, enabling bidders to build solid and realistic proposals in light of the future investments essential for the restoration of the site.
A unique conversion potential for investors
To assist the reflection of investors and project developers, the Direction des finances publiques is providing a comprehensive technical file on the site’s development opportunities. The sale will start on 24 November 2026 on the dedicated digital platform.
The flexibility of the volumes offered by the 5,256 m² of floor area opens the way to multiple conversion scenarios. Whether it is a high-end hotel project celebrating Toulouse elegance, prestigious offices for a major company’s headquarters, or a luxury residential programme incorporating shared services, the entire rue Roquelaine site adapts to numerous configurations. The inner courtyard, a true haven of peace in the heart of the urban bustle, is a valuable asset for structuring and distributing the various traffic flows within the rehabilitated complex.
- Location: 1-3 rue Roquelaine, Toulouse (Haute-Garonne)
The district surrounding rue Roquelaine and boulevard de Strasbourg is distinguished by its residential elegance and commercial vitality. Located just a few minutes’ walk from place Jeanne d’Arc and the main public transport connections, the site benefits from remarkable accessibility. This geographical centrality makes the Georges Pauilhac hotel a particularly attractive address for prestigious service activities, liberal professions or residents looking for a preserved urban quality of life.
- Floor area: 5,256 m²
- Heritage status: Listed on the inventory of Historic Monuments (decree of 10 December 2025)
The scale of this 5,256 m² floor area ranks this property complex among the most important private land opportunities in the very centre of Toulouse in recent years. The balanced distribution of this area between the original part built in 1910 and the modern 1962 structure makes it possible to envisage large-scale mixed-use projects. The existence of an inner courtyard brings a welcome breath of fresh air to the complex, offering opportunities for greening, parking or quality outdoor landscaping, essential for the success of a contemporary property programme that respects environmental standards.
- Starting price: €2,000,000
The starting price of 2 million euros was determined to attract interest from real estate professionals, heritage investors or institutional groups capable of undertaking the necessary rehabilitation investments. Given the building’s listing as a Historic Monument, major renovation work will need to be scheduled to restore the site to its former glory while bringing it into line with current uses. This attractive entry price reflects both the exceptional development potential of the address and the demanding specifications associated with safeguarding historical heritage.
- Auction schedule: From 24 November (2pm) to 26 November 2026 (4pm)
The 48-hour bidding period will be the culmination of several months of preparation and technical visits for interested buyers. This dynamic sales format ensures healthy competition in the market, with each bidder able to adjust their offer in real time within the limits of their restructuring budget. The opening of the session on Tuesday 24 November 2026 at 2pm will mark the start of a decisive phase for the future of this jewel of Toulouse architecture, whose final allocation will be validated by the state property authorities following the closure of the platform on Thursday 26 November at 4pm.
- Sales platform: Agorastore Immo
The choice of Agorastore Immo as the operator for this online sale guarantees optimal exposure of the property to national and international investor networks. With solid experience in the disposal of complex public assets, the platform offers a secure and transparent user journey, both for consulting administrative and technical files and for submitting financial offers. This modern digital system makes it possible to widen the circle of potential buyers while ensuring the perfect regularity of operations, under the constant supervision of State representatives in Occitanie.
