De la rente immobilière à la finance. La Société de la rue Impériale (Lyon, 1854-2004)

The « Société de la rue Impériale » (SRI) is the oldest of the real estate companies created in the IInd Empire. The company built, owned and managed most of the buildings along the rue de la République in Lyon. SRI Archives tell us a 150 years long story of real estate management and investment in the center of Lyon. From 1854 to 2007, the SRI evolved in parallel with urban changes and population transformation. This longevity is unique amongst real estate companies of the XIXth Century. Local shareholders ran the SRI until it fell under the control of national banking firms at the end of the 1960's.This takeover was a turning point, that opened the way to a financialisation process. The SRI buyout by an Abu Dhabi investment fund appears as the logical conclusion of this process.