5 rue Payenne in Paris has a rich and varied history. In 1642, architect François Mansart bought the land and built his home there, where he lived until his death in 1666. In 1842, the building was extended upward by jeweler Antoine Bret. Clotilde de Vaux, a key figure of positivism and muse of Auguste Comte, is believed to have died there in 1846, though this claim remains debated.
In 1897, the Positivist Church of Brazil, led by Raimundo Teixeira Mendes, acquired the building, drawn by its presumed connection to Clotilde. It became a place of pilgrimage for positivists. Renovation work was carried out between 1904 and 1905 by architect Gustave Goy, who modified the façade by adding a bust of Comte and a symbolic inscription. A chapel inspired by the Temple of Humanity was also created inside.
In 2023, Michael Timsit reinvented part of the building, transforming it into Galerie Joseph—a 226 m² space dedicated to exhibitions and events, blending history, art, and modernity.