The IAP was created in 1936 by the French ministry of education under Jean Zay, initially for the purpose of processing data received from the Observatory of Haute-Provence, which was created at the same time. Construction of the building started on 6 January 1938. On 15 June 1939, Henri Mineur became the institute's first director. IAP scientists were at first located in Paris Observatory, then in the École normale supérieure de Paris before arriving in the current building in 1944 which was finally completed in 1952.