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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Paul Doumer School Group is a school building built in La Rochelle in the Saint-Éloi district. Initiated in 1931 by the municipality, it was completed 18 months later, in 1934, and expanded in 1953. Its architecture combines a reinforced concrete frame and brick double partitions, originally covered with a Tyrolean ochre coating. The layout of buildings around an inner street adapts to the irregular shape of the land of one hectare, successively serving the kindergarten and the schools of girls and boys.

The street façade is distinguished by its hieratic style, marked by a pyramidal composition of the entrance porch and traditional elements such as bands and overflowing cornices. Despite its massive and opaque appearance evoking classical masonry, the structure uses modern techniques for the time. The whole is listed as a historic monument by order of 12 February 2002, recognizing its heritage value.

The project is attributed to architect Pierre Grizet, whose work reflects the urban and educational concerns of the 1930s. The creation of an inner street, organising access to the various sections, reflects a reflection on the movement and separation of spaces according to age and gender, characteristic of the school groups of this period. Today, the building remains the property of the municipality of La Rochelle and retains its original use.

The location of the school group at 19 Gaston-Périer Street in a 20th-century developing neighbourhood highlights its role in urban planning and access to public education. Its inscription among the historical monuments of La Rochelle makes it a representative example of school architecture between the two wars, combining technical innovation and traditional stylistic references.

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