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All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Divers
  3. 97400 Saint-Denis

  4. Caser Lambert

Caser Lambert

Caser Lambert


    97400 Saint-Denis
State ownership
Museums of France
Miscellaneous
Photo de Caser Lambert

Timeline

Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1800
1900
2000
1842
Design of plans
4 avril 1846
Laying the first stone
1849
Completion of work
1858
Adding grid and pavilions
1909-1910
Temporary decommissioning
1965
Creation of the 4th AMPR
3 avril 2007
Registration for historical monuments
2011
Discovery of a slave cemetery
14 septembre 2023
Partial classification
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The Lambert barracks, facades and roofs, as well as all the buildings constituting the Lambert barracks, including the fences and all the plots AB Nos. 12 and 366: inscription by order of 3 April 2007; The facades and roofs of the main building of the Lambert barracks, the two entrance pavilions and the fence to the north with its gates, located at La Redoute, on parcel No. 12 of the AB section of the cadastre of the commune, as delimited in red on the plan annexed to the decree: classification by order of 14 September 2023

Key figures

Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais - Governor of La Reunion Initiator of construction.
Charles Louis Joseph Bazoche - Rear-Admiral Place the first stone in 1846.
Capitaine Roux - Owner Designs neoclassical plans.
Hervé Morin - Minister of Defence (2009) Official visit of the RSMA.

Origin and history

The Lambert barracks, located in Saint-Denis on the island of La Réunion, were built in the mid-19th century (1846-1849) by military engineers to house the infantry troops of the navy. Initiated by Governor Mahé de La Bourdonnais and inaugurated by Rear Admiral Bazoche, it adopts a neoclassical style marked by columns, pediments and cradle vaults. Its 208-metre "U"-shaped plan incorporates airy galleries adapted to tropical climate. Local materials, such as brown-black stones, contrast with the whiteness of the facade.

Briefly disused in the early 20th century (1909-1910), the barracks were reinvested in 1921 by a military garrison. In 1965, it hosted the creation of the 4th Regiment of Adapted Military Service (RSMA), still active today. The site, partially classified as historical monuments (2007 for facades and roofs, 2023 for entrance pavilions), reveals in 2011 a nearby slave cemetery. It opens exceptionally to the public at Heritage Days (2013).

Today, the Lambert barracks serve as the command post of the Armed Forces of the Southern Indian Ocean (FASZOI). It also houses a joint medical centre, sports infrastructure (pool, land), and logistical spaces. Its strategic location, between mountain, river and ocean, makes it a place both integrated into the city and isolated. Public transport (bus line 13, Car Yellow) and roads (RD41, boulevards north/south) facilitate access.

The architecture, designed by Captain Roux, combines military functionality and neoclassical aesthetics. The two entrance pavilions, the north gate (1858), and the monumental front porch underline its monumental character. The 2011 excavations recall its anchoring in the colonial history of the island, between military presence and memory of slavery. The site remains a symbol of French defence in the Indian Ocean, while at the same time testifying to the urban evolution of Saint-Denis.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum

Nearby establishments