An iconic Royan landmark, designated as "20th Century Heritage", the Palais has been listed as a historical monument since 2013 and will be classified in 2025. A brief retrospective on the history of the Palais des Congrès.
The origins of the Palais des Congrès
The Royan Convention Centre was one of the first built in France. Designed by architect Claude Ferret, assisted by Pierre Marmouget, Jacques Bruneau and Adrien Courtois, it was built between 1954 and 1957.
After the Allied bombing of January 5, 1945 , the Foncillon Casino was destroyed. The Palais des Congrès (Congress Palace) was built on the site during the post-war reconstruction. Similar to the Pampulha Yacht Club, this rectangular structure raised on stilts appears to float in the sea. The main auditorium takes the form of a rotunda. Perforated aluminum panels from the Prouvé workshops create plays of light and shadow, complemented by the square openings in the stage wall. Curves and straight lines take center stage, and concrete, roof terraces, color, and new architectural and decorative solutions are embraced: sunshades, sliding shutters, and perforated walls.
Although inspired by the Brazilian school of architecture , the building subsequently underwent a series of transformations, ultimately losing its soul. In the late 1970s, the addition of a glass facade and a cubic annex on the garden side distorted the original design.
The renovation of the 2020s
Between 2021 and 2023, the Palace underwent renovations to restore its 1950s appearance. It thus recaptured the spirit of its original construction, under the guidance of Claude Ferret. His son, the architect Pierre Ferret, oversaw the project.
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.
Restoring and preserving the original elements were essential requirements of this project. The artist Nadu Marsaudon was commissioned to create a new fresco, the previous one having been destroyed during the construction work.
Furthermore, the possibility of integrating into this architecture equipment that meets current standards of comfort and safety offers the city of Royan a space suitable for 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.
