President of the Syndicat des Constructeurs Français de Machines-outils, Emmanuel Pouvreau (1900-1962) had the idea of creating a building that would serve as a showcase for French industry. Thus was born the Cnit.

To pay tribute to the man who invested so much time and effort in the project, to the point of being permanently present on the construction site, Epad decided to dedicate a stele to him.

Created by Paul Belmondo, this medallion is installed on the Cnit parapet.

Born in Algiers in 1898 into a modest family of Italian origin, Paul Belmondo established himself as one of the best interpreters of the "neo-classical" trend which, in reaction against Rodin's expressionism, inspired a more refined, smoother sculpture in the 1920s, inspired by the works of Antiquity and the Renaissance.

After starting to sculpt at the age of 13, Paul Belmondo studied architecture at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Algiers, but was drafted into the First World War.

He then continued his studies in Paris in Boucher's class. His many trips to Greece and Italy confirmed his taste for classical art. Among other works, he produced the copy of Carpeaux's "La danse" on the façade of the Paris Opera, and the "Jeannette" and "Appolon" bronzes in the Jardin des Tuileries.

He died in 1982.