Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The former chamber of commerce of Caen was built between 1953 and 1956 to replace the mansion of Place Saint-Pierre, destroyed during the Battle of Caen in 1944. Located at the corner of Marshal Leclerc Boulevard and Bernières Street, the building was inaugurated on June 14, 1956. Its architecture, led by architects Laloue and Guy Morizet, combines classic codes with modern details, with Caen stone facades and a monumental staircase signed by Raymond Subes, destroyed in 2003 despite its heritage value.

The Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1821 by royal ordinance, first moved to the Escoville hotel before moving several times. After 1944, it rejected the plan to restore its historic facade to the new building. In 2002, the ICC left for Saint-Contest, leaving room for aborted commercial projects. The building will eventually house breweries (such as La Normande or Le Bistropolitain) and judicial services from 2009.

Ranked a historic monument on October 16, 2003, the building retains its facades, roofs, and the stairwell (excluding the destroyed honorary staircase). His bas-reliefs, works by Francis Pellerin and Charles-Émile Pinson, symbolize trade, industry, agriculture and fisheries. After renovations, the site alternates gastronomic and administrative uses, reflecting its adaptation to contemporary needs.

Bouygues Immobilier's initial project (2002-2003), which provided for shops and offices, failed due to lack of buyers. Purchased by SCI Laurent-Maric, the building was a time for a luxury hotel, before welcoming ephemeral signs. Despite these transformations, its protected status makes it a marker of the post-war economic and architectural history of Caen.

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