Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Daumesnil Hotel, built around 1657-1658 by merchant Gaspard Daumesnil, rises on the new Royal Square (present Republic Square) in Caen. At an estimated cost of £80,000, it is being tried for non-compliance with the construction rules imposed. Upon the death of Daumesnil, the hotel passed to Louis Lecoutlier and was sold in 1762 to Claude-Olivier Renoult d'Argouges. During the Revolution, the building was divided into two parts.

In 1927, the hotel was included in the additional inventory of historical monuments. In the same year, Alexandre-Ludovic Laumonnier bequeathed to the city the part located in No. 25, provided he created a museum there, a project never realized. Between 1932 and 1939, urban transformations (perceived from rue Georges-Lebret) changed its environment. During the Second World War, the hotel houses public services (unemployment office, police, distribution of food cards), then temporarily becomes a library and a depository of works of art.

From 1954 to 2015, the hotel is home to the district court and the council of labourmen. After the transfer of the court, the city of Caen launched a consultation in 2022 to sell the premises. In December 2024, the municipal council voted to divest SCI Beauregard for €2.3 million, providing for the restoration of facades, the preservation of roofs and frames, as well as the creation of offices and 19 housing units. Work is expected to begin in 2027 for delivery at the end of 2029.

The architecture of the hotel, made of Caen stone, is characterized by a symmetrical facade on four levels, a central courtyard accessible by a cochère door, and gardens formerly extended up to Christmas (now Marshal-Leclerc Boulevard). The attices are illuminated by dog-sitting and egg-eye type dormers. The hotel has been listed as a historical monument since 1927, with enhanced protection in 2021 covering all 17th century buildings, their facades, roofs, and remains of the fence between the courtyard and the old garden.

The current restoration project, led by architects Aurélien Dufour and Constance Rocher, aims to preserve the original circulations and distribution logics. The common courtyard, shared by several owners, will be enhanced, while a small building at the bottom of the courtyard will be demolished. This project is part of an approach to valuing the heritage while adapting the hotel to contemporary uses.

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