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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Palais des Congrès de Royan, built between 1954 and 1957 by architects Claude Ferret, Pierre Marmouget and Adrien Courtois (with Jacques Bruneau according to some sources), is part of the reconstruction movement of the city after 1945. Symbol of Brazilian and Scandinavian modernism, it is distinguished by its cubic structure in reinforced concrete, its oblique exterior staircases and its internal convex walls. Designed as a loggia open to the sea, raised on stilts and covered with a roof terrace, it initially houses a modular room, commission spaces and a restaurant. Its metal frame coated with concrete frees the interior space, while its facades play with light via glass slabs and sunbreakers.

In the 1970s, the palace underwent major changes: a glass wall closed its view of the estuary, and a transparent cube, designed by architects Marc Quentin and Michel Legrand, was added on the garden side. A wall painting by Nadu Marsaudon decorated the stairwell in 1977. In 1987, a vertical facade in occult glass definitively covers the original "Prouvé" facade, painted in grey. These modifications meet functional needs, but partially alter the building's primary spirit, marked by transparency and openness to the landscape.

Ranked "Heritage of the 20th Century" in 2004 and then listed at the Historic Monuments in 2011, the palace was the subject of debates on its reconversion in 2007. A competition launched in 2017, won by Atelier Ferret and François Chatillon, resulted in its renovation: the glass cube was demolished, the original building restored, and a heritage interpretation centre was installed there in 2023. The final classification took place on 1 July 2025, dedicating its status as architectural icon of Reconstruction.

The palace illustrates the influence of international modernism on Royan, a seaside town rebuilt in a bold style after the destructions of 1945. Its architecture, combining functionality and aesthetics, reflects the desire to give the city a tourist and cultural identity. Materials (concrete, glass, metal) and volume sets create a constant dialogue between interior and exterior, characteristic of post-war urban utopias.

Today, the convention palace, owned by the municipality, houses an event centre and a communal centre for the interpretation of architecture. Its recent rehabilitation has partially restored its original aspect, while adapting to contemporary uses. The site remains a major testimony of French modernist architecture, linked to figures such as Jean Prouvé (for the facade) and to a historical context marked by technical and social innovation.

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