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All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Divers
  3. Normandie
  4. Manche
  5. 50000 Saint-Lô

  6. Prefectural ensemble

Prefectural ensemble à Saint-Lô dans la Manche

Manche

Prefectural ensemble

    10 Rue des Images
    50000 Saint-Lô
Photo de Prefectural ensemble
Crédit photo : Xfigpower - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Antiquité
Haut Moyen Âge
Moyen Âge central
Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
0
100
…
1900
2000
6-7 juin 1944
Destruction of the former prefecture
10 juin 1945
Visit of General de Gaulle
18 juillet 1948
Laying the first stone
27 septembre 1953
Inauguration of the prefecture
6 décembre 2019
Registration for historical monuments
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The prefectural complex comprising the hotel of the prefect, in full, with the grip of the garden, its fence wall, its junction gallery, in full; the facades and roofs of the pavilion of the Secretary General and the building of the administrative services, as delimited on the plan annexed to the decree and sis place of the Prefecture (Box AV 104): inscription by order of 6 December 2019

Key figures

André Hilt - Initial architect Died in 1946, author of the first plans.
Marcel Mersier - Architect Resuming the project after the death of André Hilt.
Louis Arretche - Senior Architect Designs the final version of the building.
Jules Moch - Minister of the Interior (1948) Lay the first stone of the new ensemble.
Léon Martinaud-Deplat - Minister of the Interior (1953) President of the inauguration of the prefecture.
Henri Larrieu - Prefect of the English Channel (1953) Present at the inauguration.
Paul Vera - Designer furniture Author of interior style 40 furniture.
Robert Pansart - Glass artist Creates the glazed glass mirror.

Origin and history

The prefectural complex of Saint-Lô replaces the former prefecture, a neo-classical mansion destroyed 95% during the American bombings of 6 and 7 June 1944. After the war, the prefectural services temporarily moved to Coutances, on the premises of the normal school. General de Gaulle confirmed in June 1945 the definitive return of the prefecture to Saint-Lô, marking the beginning of an ambitious reconstruction project, integrated into a broader urban planning plan for the city, ravaged by war.

The original design, entrusted to architect André Hilt (died 1946), is taken over by Marcel Mersier, André Clermont and especially Louis Arretch. A first project considered too avant-garde in 1947 was revised to incorporate classical elements (columns, cornices, slate roofs). The first stone was laid on 18 July 1948 by Jules Moch, Minister of the Interior. The inauguration took place five years later, on 27 September 1953, in the presence of several ministers and prefect Henri Larrieu.

The architecture of the Prefect's hotel, granite, blends classical symmetry with modern influences, like the truncated columns inspired by Auguste Perret. The interior, of late Art Deco style or 40 style, includes furniture signed by Paul Vera and decorative elements such as a glass mirror glazed by Robert Pansart. The site, listed as a historic monument in 2019, also includes the facades of the administrative buildings and a junction gallery.

Located in the area of the enclosures, inside the ramparts of Saint-Lô, the prefectural complex closes the longitudinal axis of the city. It symbolizes the renaissance of the post-war Channel, combining administrative function and architectural heritage. The Place de la Préfecture, bordered by the administrative services and the city, becomes a central place of Norman reconstruction.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum