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All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Patrimoine
  3. Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
  4. Isère
  5. 38160 Saint-Marcellin

  6. House called the Ivre Boat

House called the Ivre Boat à Saint-Marcellin dans l'Isère

Isère

House called the Ivre Boat

    22 Avenue de la Saulaie
    38160 Saint-Marcellin
Photo de House called the Ivre Boat

Timeline

XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
2000
1953–1956
Construction of house
10 mars 2003
20th Century Heritage Labelling
14 septembre 2007
Registration for historical monuments
juin 2021
Purchase by the city
juin 2023
Exhibition *The Weekends of the Ivre Boat*
25 mars 2025
Launch of a pool
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The house (indoor and outdoor) , its garage and its garden (cad. AC 316) : inscription by order of 14 September 2007

Key figures

Fred (Alfred) Gelas - Sponsor Initial owner with his wife Monique.
Monique Gelas - Sponsor Named the house after Rimbaud.
Pierre Székely - Architect and sculptor Manufacturer of snail-inspired structure.
Vera Székely - Ceramicist and painter Author of interior frescoes and tapestries.
André Borderie - Painter and sculptor Co-creator of works signed SZB.
Agnès Varda - Photographer Documented the house in 1956.
Marcel Gascoin - Interior architect Designed the interior spaces.
Raphaël Mocellin - Mayor of Saint Marcellin Initiator of the municipal takeover in 2021.

Origin and history

The Maison Le Bateau Ivre was built between 1953 and 1956 in Saint-Marcellin (Isère) by a collective of artists led by Pierre Székely, architect and sculptor, in collaboration with his wife Vera Székely (ceramist) and André Borderie (painting). The project is born from the meeting between the Gelas, sponsors, and these artists during a gathering of the Heart Joy movement. The house, inspired by the structure of a snail shell, combines organic volumes with natural materials, with a Prouvé roof. His name pays tribute to the poem by Arthur Rimbaud, chosen by Monique Gelas.

The interior houses major works signed by SZB (common trio signature), such as a purple sofa, an anemone candlestick, and two ceramic frescoes by Vera Székely and André Borderie – including a credence that has now disappeared. In 1956, Agnès Varda immortalized the house in photos, testifying to its connection with the artistic avant-garde. Marcel Gascoin ensures its interior architecture, making the Ivre Boat a precursor of biodesign, where natural light and dialogue with the garden are central.

Classified as a 20th century heritage in 2003 and listed as a historical monument in 2007 (with 15 objects listed in the Palissy base), the house was purchased by the city of Saint Marcellin in 2021. Since then, it has become a cultural place: exhibitions (Les Week-ends du Bateau Ivre in 2023), artist residence, and educational projects. A citizen collective, Les Amis du Bateau Ivre, launched in 2024, supports its restoration, notably via a rooftop pool in 2025.

Located at 22 avenue de la Saulaie, at the northern exit of the city, the house embodies a unique artistic heritage, combining innovative architecture, interdisciplinary collaborations and contemporary heritage commitment. Its future aims to make it a centre dedicated to the design of the 1950s and cultural transmission, in connection with the schools of Isère and the Heritage Foundation.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum