Hôtel de Ville, Le Havre
| Hôtel de Ville | |
|---|---|
 Main frontage of the Hôtel de Ville in July 2015 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | City hall |
| Architectural style | Modern style |
| Location | Le Havre, France |
| Completed | 1958 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Auguste Perret |
The Hôtel de Ville (French pronunciation: [otɛl də vil], City Hall) is the local seat of government in Le Havre, Normandy, France. It was designated a monument historique by the French government in 2017.[1]
History
[edit]
The Hôtel de Ville was commissioned to replace a 19th century town hall, which was designed by Charles Brunet-Debaine in the Châteauesque style, built in ashlar stone and completed in 1859. It was completely destroyed by British military bombardment in September 1944 during the Second World War.[2]
The new building was built on the site of the old town hall. It was designed by Auguste Perret in the modern style and construction began using reinforced concrete in 1953. After Perret died in February 1954, Jacques Tournant supervised the development of the design until the building was officially opened on 14 July 1958.[3][4][5]
The design of the main block involved a symmetrical main frontage of 15 bays facing south onto Place d'Hôtel de Ville. It was fenestrated by tall casement windows on the first floor and by smaller caement windows on the second floor, all flanked by columns supporting a long entablature. The main block, which accommodated the exhibition and reception rooms, was 143 metres (469 ft) in length, and the 18-storey tower, at the west end, which accommodated the offices, was 70 metres (230 ft) high. The design was initially controversial, as some members of the city council wanted a reconstruction of the earlier city hall. The tower drew strong criticism, as such skyscrapers were considered American and not French.[6]
A theatre, adjoining the Hôtel de Ville to the east, was inaugurated in October 1967,[7][8][9] and a large extension to the north, designed in an unsympathetic style, was completed in 1987.[10] By moving the car parking underground, the city council was able to create a huge garden, involving over 50,000 plants, on a site to the south of the Hôtel de Ville in 1990.[11] Perret's redesigned city has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ Base Mérimée: PA76000103, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
- ^ "Une œuvre majeure de la reconstruction". Le Havre. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
- ^ "Trois nouveaux classements au Havre" [Three new classifications in Le Havre] (in French). Ministry of Culture (France). Retrieved 2 March 2022.
- ^ "L'Hôtel de Ville du Havre (1958–2018), symbole de la Reconstruction". Le Havre Archives. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
- ^ "Le Havre. Pour ses 60 ans, l'hôtel de ville se dévoile au public". Ouest France. 9 July 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
- ^ "L'hôtel de ville" [City hall] (in French). UNESCO. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
- ^ "Le Théâtre de l'Hôtel de Ville". Le Havre. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
- ^ "Le Théâtre de l'Hôtel de Ville". Spring Festival. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
- ^ "La Maison de la culture du Havre a créé " Un navire appelé Françoise " pour le 450e anniversaire de la ville". Le Monde. 22 March 1967. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
- ^ "Hôtel de Ville en 1935". Le Havre Regards. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
- ^ "Jardins de Hôtel de Ville". Le Havre. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
- ^ "Le Havre, la ville reconstruite par Auguste Perret" [Le Havre, the city rebuilt by Auguste Perret] (in French). UNESCO. Retrieved 2 March 2022.