Construction of building 1938 (≈ 1938)
Purchase of land and construction by Xavier Rendu.
1931–1948
Directorate of Édouard Boullanger
Directorate of Édouard Boullanger 1931–1948 (≈ 1940)
Management period by the Director.
24 janvier 2017
Partial classification
Partial classification 24 janvier 2017 (≈ 2017)
Registration for Historic Monuments.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The following parts of the "La Nationale" residential building located at 30 boulevard du Général de Gaulle: the four exterior facades of the building, the roofs, the facades on courtyard, the courtyard including the fountain, the ramp staircase with the waterfall fountain, the entrance door to the building and the passage between the street and the courtyard, as delimited in red on the plan attached to the decree (Box AS 662): inscription by order of 24 January 2017
Key figures
Xavier Rendu - Chief Architect
Designer of the building for the National.
Édouard Boullanger - Director of La Nationale
Sponsor and original occupant (1931–1948).
Entreprise Kalfon - Manufacturer
Tasked in 1938.
Origin and history
The La Nationale building, located at 30 boulevard du Général-de-Gaulle in Fort-de-France, was built in 1938 for the insurance company La Nationale Vie. Designed by the architect Xavier Rendu, it embodies the "ship" style, popular in metropolitan France, with its rounded lines, portholes, and curved balconies. Fully made of concrete and equipped with an antiseismic dilation joint, it is organized around a central patio accessible by a corridor with granite-coated walls, a noble material reminiscent of marble. The waterfall fountain, the semicircular basin and the blue metallic courtyards (an emblematic colour of La Nationale) animate the interior and exterior spaces.
Originally, the ground floor housed the offices of La Nationale, headed by Édouard Boullanger (1931–1948), while the floors were divided into apartments. The original carpentry, known by photographic archives, contained jealousy at the angles. The wrought iron railings and doors, as well as the facades with volume sets, reflect a deep aesthetic concern. The building, now occupied by GAN insurance and organizations like ADUAM, retains its original concierge housing. Partially ranked at the Historical Monuments in 2017, it reflects the adaptation of Art Deco to the tropical and seismic constraints of Martinique.
The construction is entrusted to the Kalfon company under the supervision of Xavier Rendu, chief architect of La Nationale. The building, a pioneer in the use of reinforced concrete in Martinique, incorporates innovations such as the accessible roof terrace, crowned with a fronton wall. The lateral elevations, rhythmic by curved balconies and porthole bays, interact with the main elevation, marked by rounded corners and protruding balconies. The traces of blue colour, initial, still underline the corporate identity of the building, today erased by the internal transformations (offices replacing the apartments).
