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Origin and history

The town hall of Évian-les-Bains was originally a villa built between 1885 and 1898 for Antoine Lumière, a Lyon industrialist and father of cinema inventors. Initiated in 1885, its construction was completed between 1896 and 1898, probably under the direction of local architect Charles Angler, with interior decorations signed by the Geneva architect Paul Pellissier. The villa, of classic French style with rococo influences, had a facade decorated with statues inspired by the Atlantes de Toulon and a radiant sun evoking the name of the Lights.

Purchased in 1925 by Rodolfo Taurel, the property was bought by the city in 1927 to become the city hall. The building retains remarkable elements such as an oak staircase with carved woodwork, an original chandelier, and allegorical bas-reliefs celebrating the arts and sciences. The entrance hall, the living rooms (including the current Wedding Hall) and the old dining room (the mayor's office) have been protected since 1981 for their period decor, including Lyon paintings and 19th century furniture.

The villa, located on the edge of the Charles-Albert-Besson wharf, lost its garden and pond in 1979, but its north terrace, once extended by a green factory, remains partially. A construction campaign in 1958 modified certain spaces, while the inscription in the Historical Monuments in 1981 preserved its facades, roofs, and major interior decorations. The initials "A.L" (Antoine Lumière) are still on the northern portal, recalling its private home past.

Architecturally, the building consists of a central body on the ground floor and four upstairs wings, with a partially vaulted basement housing an old billiard room. The noble materials (chêne, bronze, marble) and artistic motifs (allegories, luminous sun) reflect the eclectic taste of the industrial bourgeoisie of the late nineteenth century, mixing ancient references and technical modernity.

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