Completion of the rotunda 1931 (≈ 1931)
Construction completed by Cie PLM.
Années 1960
Partial destruction of the deposit
Partial destruction of the deposit Années 1960 (≈ 1960)
Second rotunda and park destroyed.
Début années 1980
Partial Demolition
Partial Demolition Début années 1980 (≈ 1980)
21 central spans removed.
4 mars 2025
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 4 mars 2025 (≈ 2025)
Protection of facades and roofs.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The facades and roofs of the railway rotunda located 2 rue Hubert Giraud on Parcel 102 of the CS section of the cadastre of the city, as delimited on the plan annexed to the decree: inscription by order of 4 March 2025
Key figures
Compagnie PLM - Sponsor and manufacturer
Designed and built the rotunda.
Origin and history
The railway rotunda of Nevers, built in the 2nd quarter of the 20th century (completed in 1931), is a masterpiece of industrial architecture designed by the Compagnie PLM (Paris-Lyon-Mediterranean). This modular reinforced concrete building adopts an annular plan of 131.90 m in diameter, with a structure carried by concentric pillars and concrete roofs. Originally, it housed 53 locomotives on a track ring served by a 24 m rotating bridge, while central glass spans provided natural lighting. The pits, smoke evacuation hoods and information panels for staff complemented this functional equipment.
The rotunda is part of a larger railway depot, including a second rotunda (destroyed in the 1960s), a storage park and workshops. Innovative for its time, its modular design allows optimized storage, with 159 vaulted spans originally (117 of which are preserved today). In the 1980s, 21 central spans were demolished, but the key architectural elements remain: concrete structure, rounded roofs, inner pits and access roads. Ranked a Historic Monument in 2025, it is the only vestige of Nevers' PLM deposit, a witness of the golden age of the rail in France.
The site illustrates the evolution of railway techniques in the 20th century, marked by the transition from wood and stone to reinforced concrete. PLM, a pioneer in this field, has experienced durable solutions for locomotive depots, combining functionality (evacuation of smoke, zenithal lighting) and industrial aesthetics. Today, the rotunda embodies both a technical heritage and a symbol of social railway history, linked to the activity of railwaymen and the economic boom of Nevers as a regional railway node.
Located 2 rue Hubert Giraud, the rotunda is now owned by a local public establishment. Its partial state of conservation (missing travaux, hidden glass) reflects the challenges of preserving industrial monuments. Despite these alterations, it remains a rare example in Europe of large rotunda (diameter greater than 130 m) and preserved reinforced concrete structure, providing tangible evidence of PLM engineering.
