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Origin and history

The Lys Beach is a river pool built in the 2nd quarter of the 20th century, specifically in the 1930s, in Boran-sur-Oise. It is part of the movement of river bathing beaches that have multiplied around Paris, on the banks of the Marne, Seine and Oise. These spaces were responding to an increasing demand for accessible aquatic recreation, at a time when paid leave and leisure time were beginning to democratize. Today disused, this beach retains all its infrastructures, offering a complete testimony of this seaside mode.

The ensemble, which included basin, beach, machinery and built elements, was inscribed in the Historical Monuments by order of 12 August 2014 for its representative character and modernity. These developments reflected a desire to reproduce the pleasures of the sea at the gates of the capital, in a context where seafront holidays remained reserved for a minority. The exceptional conservation of the site, including all its original structures, makes it a unique example of this recreative heritage linked to the rise of popular leisure in the inter-war period.

Designed by architect Eugène Tiercinier, the Beach of Lys illustrates the architectural and social innovation of his time. The infrastructure, considered very modern for the 1930s, was intended to accommodate a varied audience, taking advantage of the new times of relaxation offered by social advances. The site, now shared property between the state and the municipality, remains a symbol of the transformation of lifestyles and of access to leisure for the middle and popular classes in the Paris region.

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