House Orré

Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Maison Orré is an iconic Creole square located in Saint-Pierre, on the island of La Réunion. Built between 1825 and 1856 by Hippolyte Le Bidan on a piece of land from a cutting made in 1825, it embodies traditional Réunion architecture. The house, little modified since its construction, has the typical characteristics of the Creole cells: a wooden dwelling in the centre of the plot, a varangue on the front façade, enfilade rooms on the ground floor, and a leisure garden surrounded by open grids.

Acquired by Jean-Baptiste Paul Hibon in the second half of the 19th century, the Orré house had a second institutional life. In 1998, it was fully listed as a historical monument and then purchased by the Civis in the same year. Starting in 2005, under the impetus of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF), she was rehabilitated to become the official residence of their superior administrator. The work, carried out between 2006 and 2007, restored its wooden structure, replaced the roof, and restored its original lavender blue colour, while removing dependencies deemed not to conform to its traditional spirit.

Orré also illustrates the administrative history of La Réunion. Since the transfer of the TAAF headquarters from Paris to Saint-Pierre in 1997, it has symbolized the link between the island and these ultramarine territories. Its redevelopment, respectful of ancestral techniques (zinc roof, lack of air conditioning, solar hot water), makes it an example of heritage preservation combining authenticity and modern function. Today, it remains a living testimony of Creole architecture and its adaptation to contemporary issues.

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