Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All France Paris 'Les Spécialistes' Fake Door

'Les Spécialistes' Fake Door

This banal Parisian entranceway is not what it seems.

Paris, France

Added By
Simon Jones
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The facade.   Simon Jones / Atlas Obscura User
The fake sign is actually the artists’ initials.   Simon Jones / Atlas Obscura User
The facade.   Simon Jones / Atlas Obscura User
The installation seen from Rue du Temple.   Poulpy/CC BY-SA 3.0
12/29/23   janmeister / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
The nameplate, additional signage, and gold accents are no longer there.   tac10943 / Atlas Obscura User
  Traveling Maven / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

At first glance there would seem to be little reason to even notice number 1 Bis Rue Chapon in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris. The graffiti-covered, ordinary green door near the end of the street offers no reason to linger. But all is not as it seems.

A small sign next to the nondescript door reads “J.B. & S.B. Specialists,” which offers little clue as to what the occupants of the building do. Knock at the door for an answer and you'll be waiting a very long time. Because 1 Bis Rue Chapon is not a real door, or at least, not a door that leads to anywhere. The address, the door, and the sign are all just a façade, mounted on a blank wall.

"J.B. & S.B. Specialists" are in fact artists Julien Berthier and Simon Boudvin. The duo created the façade as a piece of trompe l’oeil street art. Early one morning in 2006 the pair installed the façade, specially designed to fill the blank wall and following all the local architectural codes, in less than 30 minutes.

They gave the empty wall a fake address too: "1 Bis." (“Bis," meaning repeat or twice, designates addresses for divided lots, like 1B or 1 1/2.)

The façade is an installation created to represent all the common but potentially mysterious doors and gateways that exist in cities everywhere. It was initially imagined to be temporary, yet over a decade later—to the artists' surprise—it's still there.

The fake Parisian door and wall have been tagged and sprayed many times over the years, and at least once the city's municipal cleanup team actually cleaned up the graffitied façade. Though if the city authorities sent an invoice for that work to 1 Bis Rue Chapon, they'll be waiting a very long time to be paid.

Related Tags

Doors Art Installations Secrets Hidden

Community Contributors

Added By

Simon Jones

Edited By

raymondwinn1941, Meg, SEANETTA, Traveling Maven...

  • raymondwinn1941
  • Meg
  • SEANETTA
  • Traveling Maven
  • tac10943
  • janmeister

Published

October 26, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.366pictures.com/2016/05/10/specialists/
'Les Spécialistes' Fake Door
1 Bis Rue Chapon
Paris
France
48.862904, 2.357678
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature (Museum of Hunting and Nature)

Paris, France

miles away

House of Nicolas Flamel

Paris, France

miles away

Le Défenseur du Temps (The Defender of Time)

Paris, France

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Paris

Paris

France

Places 204
Stories 41

Nearby Places

Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature (Museum of Hunting and Nature)

Paris, France

miles away

House of Nicolas Flamel

Paris, France

miles away

Le Défenseur du Temps (The Defender of Time)

Paris, France

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Paris

Paris

France

Places 204
Stories 41

Related Places

  • One of the figurines.

    Borås, Sweden

    Figurines of Borås

    These miniature works of art are hiding in plain sight on buildings around the city.

  • The door into the secret room is built to look like a bookcase.

    New Orleans, Louisiana

    M.S. Rau Antiques

    A treasure trove of rare and exquisitely detailed antiques

  • The view from the obelisk

    Brooklyn, New York

    Tomb of Secrets at Green-Wood Cemetery

    A way to take your secrets to someone else's grave.

  • Ribbon cutting at Door #6

    Atlanta, Georgia

    Tiny Doors ATL

    Scattered around Atlanta are little doors with big charm.

  • The dance floor.

    Houston, Texas

    Radio Tave

    Tune into an alternate universe at this immersive art installation.

  • Altona, Manitoba

    Giant Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’

    A massive, 76-foot-high version of a Van Gogh painting in Canada’s sunflower capital.

  • Omega Mart

    Las Vegas, Nevada

    Omega Mart at Area 15

    A surreal, interdimensional shopping center and portal to another universe by Meow Wolf.

  • Wemding, Germany

    'Zeitpyramide' ('Time Pyramid')

    An abstract sculpture that will be a work in progress for the next 1,000 years.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.