Construction of Fort Boyard 1804 (≈ 1804)
Creation of Boyardville village to house workers.
1811
Installation of torpedo school
Installation of torpedo school 1811 (≈ 1811)
Later transferred to Toulon by the Navy.
1927
Resettlement in holiday settlement
Resettlement in holiday settlement 1927 (≈ 1927)
Children's home until World War II.
1937
Reception of Spanish refugee children
Reception of Spanish refugee children 1937 (≈ 1937)
Linked to the Spanish Civil War.
2004
Registration for historical monuments
Registration for historical monuments 2004 (≈ 2004)
Protection of the architectural complex.
2018
Acquisition by the François 1st group
Acquisition by the François 1st group 2018 (≈ 2018)
Beginning of contemporary rehabilitation.
2023
Completion of rehabilitation work
Completion of rehabilitation work 2023 (≈ 2023)
Transformation into a luxury residence.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
All buildings, in total, constituting La Maison Happye (Box BL 16): registration by order of 23 July 2004
Key figures
Clément Camus - Architect
Changed the buildings in 1930.
André Hellé - Decorator
Collaborator of the transformation into a seaside place.
Origin and history
The Maison Heureuse, located in Boyardville on the commune of Saint-Georges-d'Oléron, originated in the construction of Fort Boyard in 1804. At that time, about 300 workers and members of the stewardship were housed, giving birth to Boyardville. After the fort was completed, the site was abandoned before welcoming the school of torpedoes in 1811, later transferred to Toulon. This place, marked by successive transformations, reflects the military and then educational needs of the time.
After World War I, the site, then abandoned, was renovated in 1927 as a holiday settlement. From 1937, the Happy House welcomed Spanish refugee children fleeing the civil war until the beginning of the Second World War. This humanitarian role deeply marked its history, before it became an experimental maritime educational centre, then an abandoned place in 2012.
In 2004, all the buildings were listed as historical monuments, recognizing its seaside and regionalist architecture, mixing half-timbers, landings and neo-regionalist elements. The architect Clément Camus and decorator André Hellé contributed to its transformation into a resort, integrating 19th-century hygienist concerns. After decades of varied use, including a barracks and a military camp, the site was acquired in 2018 by the François 1er group.
The renovation carried out in 2023 by the agency Perrot and Richard architects transformed the Blessed House into a luxury residence of sixty-three dwellings. This project has preserved its historical character while integrating an art deco and seaside style. The site, located near a beach, today embodies a unique architectural and educational heritage, between worker memory, social commitment and contemporary reconversion.
The site has also been the scene of recent tensions, such as the installation of a ZAD in 2015 against a project of rehabilitation centre for athletes, before his expulsion. These events illustrate the heritage and social issues related to the preservation and reuse of this classified site.
Announcements
Please log in to post a review