Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The former artillery barracks of Saint-Denis, located 1, rue Jean-Chatel in the Barachois district, is an emblematic military building on the island of La Réunion. Built between 1835 and 1849 under the direction of Military Engineering, it replaces a first arsenal dating back to the late 18th century. Its spatial organization, centred around two major courtyards and marked by arcade galleries, has remained unchanged since its conception. The initial project, expanded in 1839 by engineer Sonnini, included accommodation for the warden of the arsenal and artillery annexes.

Disused after the colonial troops left to Madagascar, the barracks experienced several reassignments. It has long been home to the regional headquarters of Réseau Outre-Mer premier (now RFO), before being bought in 2017 by the Cirano group. Since 2018, the site has hosted media studios, a theatre and a restaurant. Classified as an additional inventory of historic monuments in 2006, it illustrates the military architectural heritage and its adaptation to contemporary uses.

The works, completed in 1849, combine neoclassical elements such as arcades on the ground floor and pillars on the first floor supporting an architrave. Although renovation campaigns took place in the 19th century, the original structure, designed by Tessier and Sonnini, remains identifiable. The house of the director and the appendices have undergone subsequent changes, but the whole retains remarkable spatial coherence. Today the private property, the building combines historical heritage and cultural dynamism.

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