Archi | Tour du monde des stations-services, emblèmes en sursis des sociétés modernes (en images)

Désert de Mojave Californie © AFP

Pompe vintage dans les collines vietnamiennes, rectangle standardisé sur le parking d’un hypermarché hongrois, vaisseau futuriste à Dubaï…: quelle que soit sa forme, la station-service, emblème des sociétés modernes, est sans doute en sursis à l’heure de la transition énergétique.

Entre prix des carburants en forte hausse dans le sillage, notamment, de la guerre en Ukraine, épuisement des ressources et lutte contre le réchauffement climatique, les années du moteur thermique sont désormais comptées.

Cela pourrait sonner le glas –ou au moins l’heure d’une profonde reconversion– pour les stations-essence, dont l’histoire se confond avec celle de l’essor de l’automobile au début du XXème siècle.

A Moscou, c’est dans les années 1930 que la plus vieille station du centre-ville est sortie de terre. Et neuf décennies plus tard, cette sobre bâtisse crème et rouge est toujours là, à l’ombre de la cathédrale du Christ Sauveur.

Certaines stations-essence sont devenues des lieux de mémoire, comme celle de Blackwell’s Corner, dans le désert californien. Un immense portrait de James Dean rappelle que c’est ici, en 1955, que la Porsche de l’acteur de « La Fureur de vivre » a fait son ultime halte avant l’accident qui lui fut fatal 40 kilomètres plus loin.

Le trait commun de la plupart des stations-service est leur auvent qui, en plus de protéger des intempéries, sert souvent la stratégie marketing de leur propriétaire.

Un design qui vaut à certaines d’être des monuments classés, comme la station-service de Red Hill, à 170 kilomètres au nord de Londres, avec ses six auvents circulaires caractéristiques des années 1960.

Phnom Penh, Cambodge

1/11

Phnom Penh, Cambodge

station service desert

2/11

Désert de Judée

station service Moscou

3/11

Moscou

Sur la rivière Chao Phraya à Bangkok, Thailande,

4/11

Sur la rivière Chao Phraya à Bangkok, Thailande,

Rio Negro près de Manaus au Brésil

5/11

Rio Negro près de Manaus au Brésil

madrid

6/11

Alcala de Henares, près de Madrid

R38 road près de Barberton et Caroline, Afrique du Sud

7/11

R38 road près de Barberton et Caroline, Afrique du Sud

Près du  village de Lozhan i Ri, Albanie

8/11

Près du village de Lozhan i Ri, Albanie

Addis Ababa, Ethiopie,

9/11

Addis Ababa, Ethiopie,

Pékin

10/11

Pékin

Moscou

11/11

Moscou

Phnom Penh, Cambodge

1/11

Phnom Penh, Cambodge

station service desert

2/11

Désert de Judée

station service Moscou

3/11

Moscou

Sur la rivière Chao Phraya à Bangkok, Thailande,

4/11

Sur la rivière Chao Phraya à Bangkok, Thailande,

Rio Negro près de Manaus au Brésil

5/11

Rio Negro près de Manaus au Brésil

madrid

6/11

Alcala de Henares, près de Madrid

R38 road près de Barberton et Caroline, Afrique du Sud

7/11

R38 road près de Barberton et Caroline, Afrique du Sud

Près du  village de Lozhan i Ri, Albanie

8/11

Près du village de Lozhan i Ri, Albanie

Addis Ababa, Ethiopie,

9/11

Addis Ababa, Ethiopie,

Pékin

10/11

Pékin

Moscou

11/11

Moscou

Canopée stylée ou restitution à la végétation

De par sa blancheur, ses courbes et ses néons, la station-essence 76 de Beverly Hills évoque la nuit un vaisseau spatial posé près des palmiers de Little Santa Monica Boulevard. Le rockeur britannique Noel Gallagher, anciennement guitariste d’Oasis, a choisi en 2011 cet édifice de style Googie pour la couverture de son premier album avec les High Flying Birds.

Birstall, Leicestershire, dans l'est des Midlands Angleterre

1/9

Birstall, Leicestershire, dans l’est des Midlands Angleterre

Matuskovo, Slovaquie

2/9

Matuskovo, Slovaquie

Près du  village de Lozhan i Ri, Albanie

3/9

Près du village de Lozhan i Ri, Albanie

Christiana Afrique du Sud

4/9

Christiana Afrique du Sud

This photograph taken on August 29, 2022 in Budapest's 11th district, Hungary, shows a petrol station French multinational company Auchan, at dusk. - A vintage pump in the Vietnamese hills; a Madrid petrol station topped with a giant sombrero; a multi-coloured futuristic fuel outlet in Dubai – whatever its form the humble filling stop, emblem of our modern societies, would appear to be running out of road. (Photo by Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP)

5/9

This photograph taken on August 29, 2022 in Budapest’s 11th district, Hungary, shows a petrol station French multinational company Auchan, at dusk. – A vintage pump in the Vietnamese hills; a Madrid petrol station topped with a giant sombrero; a multi-coloured futuristic fuel outlet in Dubai – whatever its form the humble filling stop, emblem of our modern societies, would appear to be running out of road. (Photo by Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP)

This photograph taken on August 26, 2022 at the corner of Crescent Drive and Little Santa Monica Boulevard, in Beverly Hills, California, USA, shows the Union 76 Googie-style petrol station, originally designed by architect Gin Wong of Pereira and Associates to complement the Theme Building as part of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). - A vintage pump in the Vietnamese hills; a Madrid petrol station topped with a giant sombrero; a multi-coloured futuristic fuel outlet in Dubai – whatever its form the humble filling stop, emblem of our modern societies, would appear to be running out of road. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP)

6/9

This photograph taken on August 26, 2022 at the corner of Crescent Drive and Little Santa Monica Boulevard, in Beverly Hills, California, USA, shows the Union 76 Googie-style petrol station, originally designed by architect Gin Wong of Pereira and Associates to complement the Theme Building as part of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). – A vintage pump in the Vietnamese hills; a Madrid petrol station topped with a giant sombrero; a multi-coloured futuristic fuel outlet in Dubai – whatever its form the humble filling stop, emblem of our modern societies, would appear to be running out of road. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP)

This photograph taken on July 13, 2022 on the outskirts of Bangalore, India, shows a Nayara Energy Limited petrol station. - A vintage pump in the Vietnamese hills; a Madrid petrol station topped with a giant sombrero; a multi-coloured futuristic fuel outlet in Dubai – whatever its form the humble filling stop, emblem of our modern societies, would appear to be running out of road. (Photo by Manjunath KIRAN / AFP)

7/9

This photograph taken on July 13, 2022 on the outskirts of Bangalore, India, shows a Nayara Energy Limited petrol station. – A vintage pump in the Vietnamese hills; a Madrid petrol station topped with a giant sombrero; a multi-coloured futuristic fuel outlet in Dubai – whatever its form the humble filling stop, emblem of our modern societies, would appear to be running out of road. (Photo by Manjunath KIRAN / AFP)

This photograph taken on August 24, 2022 in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, shows an abandoned petrol station where a man has lived for over 10 years. - A vintage pump in the Vietnamese hills; a Madrid petrol station topped with a giant sombrero; a multi-coloured futuristic fuel outlet in Dubai – whatever its form the humble filling stop, emblem of our modern societies, would appear to be running out of road. (Photo by DOUGLAS MAGNO / AFP)

8/9

This photograph taken on August 24, 2022 in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, shows an abandoned petrol station where a man has lived for over 10 years. – A vintage pump in the Vietnamese hills; a Madrid petrol station topped with a giant sombrero; a multi-coloured futuristic fuel outlet in Dubai – whatever its form the humble filling stop, emblem of our modern societies, would appear to be running out of road. (Photo by DOUGLAS MAGNO / AFP)

This photograph taken on August 31, 2022 in Lencois, Bahia state, Brazil, shows a Del Rey petrol station. - A vintage pump in the Vietnamese hills; a Madrid petrol station topped with a giant sombrero; a multi-coloured futuristic fuel outlet in Dubai – whatever its form the humble filling stop, emblem of our modern societies, would appear to be running out of road. (Photo by Rafael Martins / AFP)

9/9

This photograph taken on August 31, 2022 in Lencois, Bahia state, Brazil, shows a Del Rey petrol station. – A vintage pump in the Vietnamese hills; a Madrid petrol station topped with a giant sombrero; a multi-coloured futuristic fuel outlet in Dubai – whatever its form the humble filling stop, emblem of our modern societies, would appear to be running out of road. (Photo by Rafael Martins / AFP)

Birstall, Leicestershire, dans l'est des Midlands Angleterre

1/9

Birstall, Leicestershire, dans l’est des Midlands Angleterre

Matuskovo, Slovaquie

2/9

Matuskovo, Slovaquie

Près du  village de Lozhan i Ri, Albanie

3/9

Près du village de Lozhan i Ri, Albanie

Christiana Afrique du Sud

4/9

Christiana Afrique du Sud

This photograph taken on August 29, 2022 in Budapest's 11th district, Hungary, shows a petrol station French multinational company Auchan, at dusk. - A vintage pump in the Vietnamese hills; a Madrid petrol station topped with a giant sombrero; a multi-coloured futuristic fuel outlet in Dubai – whatever its form the humble filling stop, emblem of our modern societies, would appear to be running out of road. (Photo by Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP)

5/9

This photograph taken on August 29, 2022 in Budapest’s 11th district, Hungary, shows a petrol station French multinational company Auchan, at dusk. – A vintage pump in the Vietnamese hills; a Madrid petrol station topped with a giant sombrero; a multi-coloured futuristic fuel outlet in Dubai – whatever its form the humble filling stop, emblem of our modern societies, would appear to be running out of road. (Photo by Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP)

This photograph taken on August 26, 2022 at the corner of Crescent Drive and Little Santa Monica Boulevard, in Beverly Hills, California, USA, shows the Union 76 Googie-style petrol station, originally designed by architect Gin Wong of Pereira and Associates to complement the Theme Building as part of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). - A vintage pump in the Vietnamese hills; a Madrid petrol station topped with a giant sombrero; a multi-coloured futuristic fuel outlet in Dubai – whatever its form the humble filling stop, emblem of our modern societies, would appear to be running out of road. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP)

6/9

This photograph taken on August 26, 2022 at the corner of Crescent Drive and Little Santa Monica Boulevard, in Beverly Hills, California, USA, shows the Union 76 Googie-style petrol station, originally designed by architect Gin Wong of Pereira and Associates to complement the Theme Building as part of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). – A vintage pump in the Vietnamese hills; a Madrid petrol station topped with a giant sombrero; a multi-coloured futuristic fuel outlet in Dubai – whatever its form the humble filling stop, emblem of our modern societies, would appear to be running out of road. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP)

This photograph taken on July 13, 2022 on the outskirts of Bangalore, India, shows a Nayara Energy Limited petrol station. - A vintage pump in the Vietnamese hills; a Madrid petrol station topped with a giant sombrero; a multi-coloured futuristic fuel outlet in Dubai – whatever its form the humble filling stop, emblem of our modern societies, would appear to be running out of road. (Photo by Manjunath KIRAN / AFP)

7/9

This photograph taken on July 13, 2022 on the outskirts of Bangalore, India, shows a Nayara Energy Limited petrol station. – A vintage pump in the Vietnamese hills; a Madrid petrol station topped with a giant sombrero; a multi-coloured futuristic fuel outlet in Dubai – whatever its form the humble filling stop, emblem of our modern societies, would appear to be running out of road. (Photo by Manjunath KIRAN / AFP)

This photograph taken on August 24, 2022 in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, shows an abandoned petrol station where a man has lived for over 10 years. - A vintage pump in the Vietnamese hills; a Madrid petrol station topped with a giant sombrero; a multi-coloured futuristic fuel outlet in Dubai – whatever its form the humble filling stop, emblem of our modern societies, would appear to be running out of road. (Photo by DOUGLAS MAGNO / AFP)

8/9

This photograph taken on August 24, 2022 in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, shows an abandoned petrol station where a man has lived for over 10 years. – A vintage pump in the Vietnamese hills; a Madrid petrol station topped with a giant sombrero; a multi-coloured futuristic fuel outlet in Dubai – whatever its form the humble filling stop, emblem of our modern societies, would appear to be running out of road. (Photo by DOUGLAS MAGNO / AFP)

This photograph taken on August 31, 2022 in Lencois, Bahia state, Brazil, shows a Del Rey petrol station. - A vintage pump in the Vietnamese hills; a Madrid petrol station topped with a giant sombrero; a multi-coloured futuristic fuel outlet in Dubai – whatever its form the humble filling stop, emblem of our modern societies, would appear to be running out of road. (Photo by Rafael Martins / AFP)

9/9

This photograph taken on August 31, 2022 in Lencois, Bahia state, Brazil, shows a Del Rey petrol station. – A vintage pump in the Vietnamese hills; a Madrid petrol station topped with a giant sombrero; a multi-coloured futuristic fuel outlet in Dubai – whatever its form the humble filling stop, emblem of our modern societies, would appear to be running out of road. (Photo by Rafael Martins / AFP)

Mais cette « canopée » n’est pas toujours aussi tape-à-l’oeil. Dans beaucoup d’endroits, de simples tôles ondulées font l’affaire. C’est ainsi dans cette localité du Comté de Nimba, au Liberia, où le carburant se vend au bocal, et le plein est fait à l’entonnoir.

En France, beaucoup des petits points de vente de villages ont mis la clé sous la porte. On dénombrait en 2021 un peu plus de 11.000 stations-service en France, contre 41.000 au début des années 1980. En cause, la concurrence des supermarchés qui ont récupéré les parts de marché en siphonnant les marges.

« Dans les années 2000, on s’est diversifiés dans les activités de garage, puis de lavage », explique Francis Pousse, représentant des stations-service chez Mobilians, qui rassemble les professionnels français des services de l’automobile. 

« Mais les marges ont continué de descendre, et face aux investissements nécessaires pour se moderniser, beaucoup de gérants ont raccroché les gants. Et les jeunes qui rachètent des garages-stations ferment la partie carburant ».

Combien de villages conservent le souvenir de cette lointaine époque des petits commerces de carburants? A Roaix, au nord de Marseille, une insigne Antar et une vieille pompe rouge rappellent que cette brocante au bord de la départementale n’en a pas toujours été une.

Ailleurs, comme près de Gjilan, au Kosovo, certaines stations abandonnées sont rendues à la végétation, augurant peut-être le destin des autres quand l’humanité tournera la page du pétrole.

En attendant, certaines sont recyclées, comme cette ancienne station-service Tela, à Phnom Penh, qui a pris au pied de la lettre le concept de transition écologique. On n’y achète plus du carburant, mais des plantes vertes.

Province de Yen Bai au Vietnam
Province de Yen Bai au Vietnam

Partner Content