Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The buildings of 4-4 bis Place Maréchal-Foch aux Sables-d'Olonne form a seaside complex built in 1930 by architect Maurice Durand, with decorations carved by Maurice Legendre. This complex, built on a hilly plot once occupied by the Calvary cemetery, consists of four adjoining buildings organized around the largest Mirasol villa. It was designed for Léon Herbert, a large landowner, and included a luxurious apartment with reception areas, a smoking room and a circular room with ocean views. From the beginning, the ground floor housed shops, including a tea room, while the accesses of the servants were separated from the main entrances.

The facades, rhythmized by carved oriels and skylights, reflect an Art Deco style marked by secular and mythological ornaments. The roses of the berries, now masked by advertising signs, bear witness to the original decorative richness. The ensemble was included in the inventory of Historic Monuments in 1975 for its facades and roofs, and the Mirasol villa was restored in 1995. The big work was done by entrepreneur Felix Gault, while the exuberant sculptures, characteristic of the time, were signed by Maurice Legendre.

The construction of these buildings is part of the seaside development of the Sables d'Olonne at the beginning of the 20th century, when the resort attracted an easy clientele in search of resorts. Their seafront location and collective architecture reflect a desire to combine private luxury and commercial activities, typical of the seaside resorts of the inter-war period. The use of granite for the bases and the angle arrangement underline the adaptation to the site, marked by a steep elevation.

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