Building of the palace 1969-1970 (≈ 1970)
Directed by Cacaut and Mrowiec.
3 octobre 2014
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 3 octobre 2014 (≈ 2014)
Registration by ministerial decree.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The Convention Palace in its entirety, including the garden on its upper terrace, the entrance courtyard, the esplanades and all the stairs on both sides of the equipment itself (Box AN 95): inscription by order of 3 October 2014
Key figures
Christian Cacaut - Architect
Co-conceptor of the Congress Hall.
André Mrowiec - Architect
Co-conceptor of the Congress Hall.
Origin and history
The Palais des Congrès de Perros-Guirec, built in 1969-1970 by architects Christian Cacaut and André Mrowiec, is part of a bold landscape integration process. Placed under a terrace overlooking Trestraou beach, the building adorned with an escarpment, evoking a cave or a dolmen. Its massive concrete and pink granite piles support a garden slab, creating a dialogue between architectural radicality and Breton megalithic heritage. The aim was to extend the tourist season of this renowned seaside resort, offering cultural equipment anchored in its natural environment.
The design of the palace plays on striking contrasts: a walkway leading to an evasive room, a bay opening onto the marine horizon, and volumes reminiscent of rocky boulders. The architects exploited concrete for its plastic and constructive qualities, while integrating local materials such as pink granite. This approach, described as "poetic brutalism", combines a crude aesthetic with a symbolism of the origins, where nature seems domesticated by culture. The building, owned by the municipality, was listed as historical monuments in 2014 for its exceptional character.
Perros-Guirec, a seaside resort popular since the 19th century, was to modernise its tourist offer. The Palais des Congrès embodied a desire to reconcile economic development with respect for the site, in a region where contemporary architecture often compared with megalithic heritage. The cascades of steps, the walls of bells and the references to menhirs underline this filiation, while affirming a break with traditional codes. The building remains a significant testimony of the architectural audacity of the 1970s in Brittany.
The protection of the monument, effective since 2014, covers the entire palace, including its garden terrace, esplanades and stairs. This classification recognises the coherence of a whole where architecture and landscape form an inseparable whole. The architects, Christian Cacaut and André Mrowiec, deployed a remarkable mastery of volumes and materials, avoiding excesses despite a resolutely avant-garde bias. Their work is in line with the Breton achievements of the 20th century that have benefited from local geomorphological specificities.
