ARCOA

What ARCOA does

ARCOA (legal name Atelier ARCOA) is a privately-held French specialist workshop founded in 1970 by ICCROM-trained restorers, headquartered in Puteaux with additional workshop facilities in Suresnes, Île-de-France. The firm conserves and restores polychrome painted decorations in classified historic monuments, operating across six integrated service lines: conservation-restoration of painted décors and medieval mural paintings (12th-15th century), diagnostic and stratigraphic investigations, decorative painting (including faux finishes and gilding), monumental canvas restoration, and easel/object/polychrome sculpture restoration. The technical platform is built on a multidisciplinary team of conservator-restorers and heritage decorative painters, supported by scientific tools (portable microscopes, digital surveys, UV lighting, mobile access equipment) and a mutual scientific collaboration with the Laboratoire de Recherche des Monuments Historiques (LRMH) for materials characterization.

ARCOA delivers professional services under the direction of Architects en Chef des Monuments Historiques and Architectes du Patrimoine, engaged through formal French public-procurement (tender) processes by DRAC regional offices, municipalities, and heritage institutions including the Etablissement Public de la Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, the Château de Versailles, the Sénat, OPPIC, and the Ville d'Avignon. Revenue is project-based, sized by monument significance and scope, with no publicly disclosed pricing; the firm also serves a secondary segment of private owners of historic residences (hôtels particuliers, châteaux). One international engagement is documented at the Russian Orthodox Church in Geneva.

The business operates with approximately 50 employees across two French ateliers (Puteaux HQ, Suresnes workshop), no disclosed funding, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no acquisitions, M&A activity, or leadership changes. Marketing is conducted primarily through professional reputation, a project-reference website, and organic LinkedIn and Instagram channels. Notable proprietary technical innovation includes a micro-abrasion de-restoration technique for 15th-century paintings, published in the Monumental journal in 2021.

Name

ARCOA

Legal name

Atelier ARCOA

Website

https://atelier-arcoa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ARCOA is a French specialist workshop, founded in 1970, that conserves and restores polychrome painted decorations on classified historic monuments. It serves French public-sector heritage institutions and private owners via tender-based professional services, with a marquee portfolio including Notre-Dame de Paris and Versailles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Conservation and Restoration Services

NAICS

Historical Sites (712120), Interior Design Services (54141)

SIC

Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Plaster Repair & Restoration (Lath & Plaster) (HSAGACAC), Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

Keywords

• Heritage conservation services
• Polychrome artwork restoration
• Monumental painting restoration
• Medieval mural conservation
• Historic monument preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Puteaux

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Heritage Conservation-Restoration Services: Professional services revenue from conservation and restoration of painted decorations in classified historic monuments. Projects are commissioned by public entities (DRAC, municipalities, Senate, OPPIC) and private owners, under the direction of heritage architects. Revenue is project-based, varying by monument significance and scope of work.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ARCOA is a specialist French heritage conservation-restoration workshop providing professional services for the conservation, restoration, and restitution of monumental polychrome painted decorations in classified historic monuments. The firm operates across six integrated service areas: conservation-restoration of painted decorations and medieval mural paintings, diagnostic and stratigraphic investigations, decorative painting (including faux finishes and gilding), monumental canvas restoration, and easel/polychrome object/sculpture restoration. Services are delivered by a multidisciplinary team of conservator-restorers and heritage decorative painters working on cathedrals, castles, churches, and private heritage residences across France under the direction of Architects of Historic Monuments.

Product overview

ARCOA is a specialist workshop for monumental painting conservation and restoration, founded in 1970 and operating as a single unified service practice rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering encompasses six integrated service areas: conservation-restoration of painted decorations and medieval mural paintings, diagnostic and stratigraphic investigations, decorative painting (including faux finishes and gilding), monumental canvas restoration, and easel/object/polychrome sculpture restoration. These services are delivered by a multidisciplinary team combining conservator-restorers and heritage decorative painters, working across France on classified historic monuments including cathedrals, castles, and private mansions, under the oversight of Architects of Historic Monuments and regional cultural authorities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conservation-Restauration de décors peints Core conservation and restoration service for monumental painted decorations, including oil paintings on plaster, distemper on lime mortar, and frescoes, performed on classified historic monuments such as Château de Versailles and Notre-Dame de Paris. Target clients are public heritage institutions and private owners under the direction of Architects of Historic Monuments.
• Conservation-restauration de peintures murales médiévales Specialized restoration of medieval mural paintings from the 12th to 15th century, including uncovering ancient decorations and de-restoration of obsolete treatments, demonstrated by work on the 15th-century paintings at Église Saint-Maurice de Gourdans.
• Diagnostics et sondages stratigraphiques Preliminary diagnostic investigations including stratigraphic soundings, treatment trials, and condition assessments, utilizing traditional and scientific tools such as microscopes, digital surveys, UV lighting, and mobile access equipment for heritage conservation projects.
• Peinture décorative Decorative painting services including restitution of architectural ensembles, faux marble and faux wood finishes, ornament and gilding restoration, combining traditional decorative painting techniques with conservation approaches.
• Peintures sur toiles monumentales Restoration of monumental painted canvases, including marouflage removal and transposition to new supports, with specialized conservation-restorer teams for both easel and mural paintings.
• Tableaux de chevalet, objets et sculptures polychromes Restoration of easel paintings and polychrome objects including treatment of gilding and polychromies on various supports (canvas, wood, stone, plaster, metal), with ateliers in Suresnes and Puteaux equipped for objects of various sizes.

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Laboratoire de Recherche des Monuments Historiques (LRMH)supportingTechnology or IntegrationScientific collaboration with LRMH-approved laboratories for materials characterization, de-restoration treatments, paint removal, desalination, biological contamination treatment, and other specialized analyses supporting conservation projects.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Eiffage Construction: Eiffage operates a heritage and restoration business line across France competing for Monuments Historiques tenders including painted decoration scope. As a broad incumbent with national coverage, it overlaps with ARCOA on public heritage restoration contracts while also serving broader construction markets.
• Léon Grosse: Léon Grosse is a major French general construction group with a dedicated heritage and restoration division that competes for the same DRAC-managed monument restoration tenders. While much larger and broader in scope than ARCOA, it represents the broad-incumbent competitive pressure on specialist ateliers for high-value classified monument work.
• Vinci Construction: Vinci Construction has heritage restoration capabilities through its subsidiaries and regularly competes for major French monument restoration tenders. As a broad incumbent, it competes with ARCOA on larger-scope classified monument contracts where specialist expertise may be sub-contracted.
• Bouygues Bâtiment: Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France operates heritage and restoration capabilities and competes for major Paris-region heritage tenders, overlapping with ARCOA on projects for institutions like the Sénat, Notre-Dame, and Versailles. Much larger scope but competes in the same public procurement environment.

Others

• Laboratoire de Recherche des Monuments Historiques (LRMH): LRMH is the French national heritage science laboratory that conducts materials characterization, treatment analysis, and conservation research for Monuments Historiques. It is a strategic partner of ARCOA rather than a competitor, but shapes the technical standards and scientific frameworks that govern the entire polychrome restoration ecosystem.
• ICCROM: ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property) is the intergovernmental heritage conservation training institution where ARCOA's founders trained. It is the global standard-setter for conservation-restoration qualification and therefore indirectly governs the talent pool from which ARCOA draws its competitive advantage.
• Fondation du Patrimoine: Fondation du Patrimoine is a French heritage nonprofit that funds and advocates for restoration of non-state-owned heritage buildings. While not a direct competitor, it shapes the demand environment for restoration ateliers and is adjacent to ARCOA's private heritage property segment (hotels particuliers, châteaux).

Regional players

• Wallis Conservation: Wallis Conservation is a UK-based specialist heritage conservation firm working on painted surfaces, polychrome sculpture, and architectural decoration on listed historic buildings. While geographically separate, it operates in the same specialist polychrome conservation niche and faces comparable client dynamics (heritage-grade restoration, ICCROM-equivalent training standards).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arcoa
• Instagraminstagram.com/atelier_arcoa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ARCOA