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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Salle des fêtes de Lille-Fives was built between 1926 and 1928 in the Fives district of Lille on land acquired by the municipality. This land originally belonged to the Barrois family and housed a small castle and park. The project, entrusted to municipal architect Marcel Cools, was approved in 1925 with a budget of 1,018,500 francs. The first stone was laid on 14 July 1926, and the inauguration took place two years later, on 14 July 1928, in the presence of Mayor Roger Salengro.

The room, designed to accommodate 1,112 people, combines a reinforced concrete structure with decorative elements inspired by Art Deco and neo-classicism. Its main façade, adorned with a sunset pattern in enamelled ceramic, contrasts with the side façade, more sober, rhythmic by pilasters and bay windows in warhead. Inside, plant motifs in staff and a large balcony dominate the space.

Disused in 1997 for security reasons, the hall was completely rehabilitated between 2002 and 2003 in the framework of Lille 2004, the European Capital of Culture. Since then, it has hosted various shows, festivals, exhibitions and cultural events, while maintaining its status as a historical monument, obtained in April 2000.

The architecture of the room reflects the eclectic influences of its time, with a modern reinforced concrete structure and neat interior and exterior decorations. Marcel Cools, already known for his cinema creations, has integrated Art Deco elements, visible in the ceramic tiles of the facade. The works were carried out by the company Briard for the masonry and Georges Borrewater for the decorations in staff.

Today, the Salle des fêtes de Fives, managed by the Lille Directorate-General for Culture, remains an emblematic place of Lille heritage. Its history, linked to the urbanization of the Fives neighbourhood and the municipal will to equip this sector with cultural equipment, makes it a significant testimony of the inter-war period in northern France.

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