The origins of the Maisons du Peuple (Houses of the People) could well be the British Mechanics Institutes of the period following the first industrial revolution. These Maisons appeared in various European cities during the last quarter of the nineteenth century. After World War I, their construction and running, until then self-administered, were devolved on city or state social programs. The Maisons de la Culture (Houses of Culture), widely established after World War II, are the ultimate developments of that type of architecture. These culture constructions bear witness, crucially, to the architectural and social history of the European heritage. Their initial multi-purpose nature should help safeguarding and passing on such a heritage. Bilingual English-French.