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Origin and history

The Little Casino of Onival, located in Ault, Hauts-de-France, is an iconic building built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It embodies the seaside architecture of the period, with a neo-classical facade decorated with mascarons and pediments, and a concert hall added between 1923 and 1926. Its exterior decoration, blending imitation of stone, wood and fittings, follows a classic arrangement, while its reinforced concrete structure reflects the technical innovations of the inter-war period.

Built in 1886 by architect A. Delafont as an annex to Villa Stella, the casino replaces the Kursaal destroyed around 1914. It initially included a reinforced concrete playroom, and then a modern-line performance hall, decorated by N. Livéra. The monument, partially protected since 2000, bears witness to the golden age of the seaside resorts after the First World War, while being one of the last examples preserved on the coast of the Channel.

The Little Casino was linked to other local infrastructures, such as a dance establishment and Villa Stella. Its triangular pediment, now extinct, and its cement balustrade hiding the roof make it a unique example of architectural eclecticism. The facade, painted in white to imitate the stone, and its asymmetrical spans (the one of the center being wider) underline its hybrid character, between tradition and modernity.

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