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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Augustin-Morvan Hospital in Brest was designed in 1932 by architects Raymond Lopez and Raymond Gravereaus, and built between 1937 and 1939 at the initiative of Mayor Victor Le Gorgeu. Intended to replace an old-fashioned hospital in the city centre, it was located on the outskirts of the former fort of the Fédérés. Its modern architecture, inspired by the "ship" style, is distinguished by crepi facades, copper roofs and a progressive staggering of levels, reflecting the debates of the era on hospital architecture.

The construction was interrupted by World War II, during which the building, damaged by the bombings, was occupied successively by the British, French, German and American armies. Reconstituent from 1945, he opened partially in 1951 before his official inauguration in 1953, under the patronage of Augustin Morvan, doctor and deputy of Finistère (died 1897), known for his medical discoveries. The hospital became a hospital in 1960, then a regional university hospital (CHRU) in 1966, with the establishment of a nearby medical school.

The architectural ensemble, although modified by subsequent additions, retains a remarkable monumentality. It was partially listed as a historical monument on 12 June 1997, protecting its facades, roofs, entrance hall, courtyard and several related buildings such as the boiler room or the former surgical block. His style, heir to the avant-gardes of the 1930s without excess, makes it a major testimony of the evolution of hospitals in the twentieth century.

The White Cavale Hospital, later built on the outskirts, allowed Augustine Morvan to remove part of his activity. Today, there is still a key site of the CHU of Brest, symbolizing both the medical progress and the historical upheavals of the region.

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