Royan: a modernism laboratory

The tragic fate of the town on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean paradoxically remains to this day a symbol of the positive hopes of post-war reconstruction. The French seaside resort of Royan was almost completely destroyed by allied bombing at the end of the Second World War and was subsequently rebuilt in the spirit of optimistic modernist visions.

The town of Royan, with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants, lies on the Atlantic coast approximately 130 km north of Bordeaux, in the Charente-Maritime department. The seaside resort had already become a highly popular tourist and leisure destination in the first half of the nineteenth century. Prestigious hotels, a casino and, for its time, modern tourist infrastructure were developed here. During the 1920s in particular, the holiday resort became especially popular with artists, who spent their summer vacations here, inspired by the endless horizons of sandy beaches swept by ocean waves.

During the fighting of the Second World War, however, the town was almost entirely bombed. On 5 January 1945, 350 heavy bombers of the British Royal Air Force flew over Royan and dropped bombs on the town and German bases in two air raids. Further bombing in April 1945 completed the destruction of this once-popular resort. During the post-war reconstruction, the town became a laboratory of modern architecture and urban planning. What may be the most coherent ensemble of 1950s modernist buildings in France was created here, designed by leading French architects.

The key figures of Royan’s post-war reconstruction included the French architects Claude Ferret, Louis Simon, Pierre Marmouget and Marc Quentin. Together with others, these designers realised a series of important buildings between 1947 and 1964. The modern symbol of the town’s renewal became the Congress Centre, completed in 1957, designed by Claude Ferret, Pierre Marmouget, Adrien Courtois and Jacques Bruneau. Another remarkable building in the central area of Royan is the main market hall. Its design dates back to as early as 1946. Architects André Morisseau and Louis Simon, together with engineers Bernard Laffaille and René Sarger, created a centrally oriented circular structure covered by a thin concrete shell with thirteen undulating vaults. The striking structural solution once again refers to contemporary experiments, such as Oscar Niemeyer’s Chapel of St Francis in Pampulha from 1943 or the works of the Mexican architect Félix Candela.

Notre-Dame de Royan Cathedral

The new sanctuary of Royan was designed by architects Guillaume Gillet and Marc Hébrard on the site of the original church from 1874, which had been destroyed by bombing. In collaboration with the structural engineers Bernard Laffaille and René Sarger, they completed within just three years, between 1955 and 1958, an impressive building that can stand comparison with the finest achievements of French Gothic architecture. Its height reaches 60 metres, the same as the towers of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. The nave was designed in the form of an ellipse, without any internal columns. It is 80 metres long and 45 metres wide. It is covered by an experimental parabolic vault, whose distinctive curvature is visible from several kilometers away.

The cathedral is also richly adorned with contemporary artistic decoration, including coloured stained-glass windows covering an area of 500m², created by Henri Martin‑Granel. The most striking stained-glass window in the choir was designed by the painter Claude Idoux.

Villas and Family Houses

In addition to the renewed urban structure of Royan’s city centre and its many public buildings, modern housing was one of the architects’ main concerns. For example, the iconic Grille‑Pain Villa was designed in 1956 by architect Pierre Marmouget. This two-storey family house, located in the city centre close to the beach, is notable for its organically curved blue stairwell tube. Inside, the organic forms are echoed in the details of the built‑in furnishings, including a striking sculpturally shaped fireplace. Marmouget’s most accomplished work in this spirit is the La Rafale villa from 1959, which, because of its shape, is nicknamed Boomerang.

Another acclaimed residential building in Royan is the corner apartment block Ponts et Chaussées, designed by architect Yves Salier between 1949 and 1951. The building’s “Corbusian” design is clearly evident in its rounded shape, which rests on circular pilars. The horizontal concrete sunshades not only shield the interior and terraces from the sun’s rays but also contribute to the building’s overall aerodynamic character.

Many other family houses in Royan were built by architects such as Marc Quentin, René Baraton, Jean Bauhain and Marc Hébrard. One of the most famous villas in Royan is Ombre Blanche, designed in 1959 by architect Claude Bonnefoy near the beach in the Parc district. Its slanted façade recalls certain villa designs by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. Immediately next to it stands the modernist Le Trident Thyrsé Hotel, built in 1955 by architect Henri Zimmer. The hotel’s current owner has furnished the interiors with period design from the 1950s. It thus provides an ideal base for exploring the post-war architecture of Royan. Indeed, Royan is one of Europe’s key cities of modern architecture and is certainly well worth a visit.

All images: © Adam Štěch