The Palace is one of the emblematic buildings of the reconstruction of the seaside resort alongside the Notre-Dame church and the central market. Close to the beaches, it faces the mouth of the Gironde estuary and the Atlantic Ocean. Labeled "Heritage of the 2013th century", it has been listed as a Historic Monument since XNUMX.
A Palace at the service of its visitors
The Palais Royan Events is a multifunctional and versatile site. It is located on the seafront, near the port of Royan. It is close to the Foncillon beach and also the beaches of Pontaillac and Grande Conche. The Palace opens onto the sea through a large glazed facade. Benefiting from a breathtaking view of the ocean, the place is thus ideal forevent planning. It welcomes both indoors and outdoors for evenings with its terraces overlooking the beach. He offers a place to live and also a place of sharing. Events of all styles take place there thanks to the wide variety of spaces on offer: seminars, conventions, conferences, team-building, forums, exhibitions, concerts, gala evenings, etc.
The reception hall of the Palace is vast and bright. Its different traffic areas thus offer ease of access and comfort to its visitors.
Depending on the configuration, the building provides:
- 1 modular exterior square,
- 1 modular plenary room,
- 5 meeting rooms,
- 1 cocktail area,
- 1 fitted kitchen office.
And with sea view:
- 2 reception and catering rooms,
- 3 terraces on 3 different levels,
- 1 "VIP" area with private terrace and café.
THE PALACE Architecture and Heritage Interpretation Center
On the sea floor, the CIAP, Center for the Interpretation of Architecture and Heritage, pays homage to Royan's heritage. It represents the diversity of the architecture and landscapes of Royan, classified City of Art and History.
The design of the Palace is centered on the human. It offers a building that is easy to understand and intuitive for both business customers and local residents. The remarkable treatment of the circulations and the play of lights are so many witnesses confirming the desire to make it a place of life and meetings. The Palace thus takes advantage of the richness of the architectural setting in which it is integrated in order to offer a welcoming place in connection with the city.
The origins of the Palais des Congrès
Royan Convention Center was one of the first built in France. Work of the architect Claude Ferret, assisted by Pierre Marmouget, Jacques Bruneau and Adrien Courtois, it was built between 1954 and 1957.
After Allied bombing of January 5, 1945, the Casino de Foncillon is destroyed. It is in place of it that the Palais des Congrès was built during the Reconstruction. Similar to the Pampulha Yacht Club, this parallelepiped raised on stilts seems to float facing the sea. The large performance hall then takes the form of a rotunda. The perforated aluminum panels from the Prouvé workshops offer plays of light and shadow to which are added those of the square openings of the stage wall. Make way for curves and straight lines, we dare to use concrete, roof terraces, color and new architectural and decorative solutions: sunshades, sliding shutters, perforated walls...
If inspired by brazilian school, the building subsequently underwent a succession of transformations. He ends up losing his soul there. At the end of the 1970s, the addition of a glazed facade and a cubic annex on the garden side distorted the initial project.
The renovation of the 2020s
Between 2021 and 2023, the Palace is being renovated to regain its "fifties" look. He thus finds the spirit of his construction, under the aegis of Claude Ferret. It's his son,architect Pierre Ferret who is in charge.
Concretely, we therefore obviously chose to erase the traces of the resumptions of the 1970s and following, for what they have of attack on the architecture of the 50s, only object of the protection of the Historical Monuments.
The restoration and conservation of the original elements were essential imperatives of this project. In addition, the possibilities of integrating equipment into this architecture that complies with current standards of comfort and safety offer the city Royan a space adapted to economic meetings and cultural events.
The Palace constitutes a facility of high architectural quality. Its own unique identity affirms its originality and that of Royan.