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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The holiday settlement of the city of Saint-Ouen, located in Jullouville, Normandy, has its origin in the acquisition in 1907 of a castle by Christian Dior's father. This estate, sold to the municipality of Saint-Ouen in 1933, is transformed into a "school colony" inspired by the principles of industrial architecture. The ensemble, which was operational in 1934, consisted of the original castle, a main building dedicated to the colony, and an infirmary called the Sapinière.

The buildings, characterized by the use of reinforced concrete, granite and bicolored brick, adopt roofs on the terrace, typical of architectural innovations of the era. A reinforced concrete pergola, integrated into the landscape, highlights the facade of the colony. This project reflects a desire to combine educational functionality and constructive modernity, in a context where holiday settlements become a major social tool for municipalities.

Among the remarkable elements, "La Sapinière", former infirmary, is subject to heritage protection by order of 9 December 2012, for its facades and roofs. The architect Mancel, the master of the project, prints to the whole a marked visual identity, while enrolling in the medical and progressive movement of the 1930s. Today, the site remains owned by the commune of Saint-Ouen, bearing witness to this pivotal period of French social and architectural history.

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