Royan during the Reconstruction era : a new model of a seaside town

In the aftermath of the Second World War, the city of Royan was declared devastated, like many French coastal towns such as Le Havre, Amiens, and Saint-Malo. The resumption of construction activity after the conflict, made possible in particular by the Marshall Plan, ensured its reconstruction.

In 1944, the French government established the Ministry of Reconstruction and Urban Planning, which was tasked with rebuilding nearly 2.5 million destroyed buildings. Under a highly hierarchical system, chief architects were appointed to draw up master plans for cities, group chief architects were responsible for designing different blocks, and finally, project architects were assigned responsibility for one or more individual buildings.

In Royan, the reconstruction was entrusted to Georges Vaucheret, an architect and former mayor of the city, and Claude Ferret, who was appointed chief architect and urban planner.

This very particular context raises questions about the formal and aesthetic choices to be made, especially as shortages and difficulties in transporting certain materials constrained designers. Should the town be rebuilt identically, or should there be room for interpretation ? In the latter case, which architectural vocabulary should be favored? Clearly, the Reconstruction did not produce a single type of architecture but resulted in highly heterogeneous solutions, of which Royan is one of the most significant examples.

Georges Vaucheret and Claude Ferret envisioned an entirely new type of seaside town, organized around wide boulevards serving iconic buildings. The seafront, stretching over 600 meters, features two large wings housing apartments and ground-floor shops. This layout, closely resembling the Trocadéro in Paris, reflects the influence of the Beaux-Arts style in the project’s design, combined with modernist architecture. At the rear, U-shaped buildings with sloped roofs are inserted, creating a contrast with the seafront through a more traditional aesthetic.

A second major axis, this time perpendicular to the beach, connects it to the Royan market, designed by Louis Simon and André Morisseau. The choice of a self-supporting inverted corolla, resembling a seashell, makes it a truly expressive piece of architecture. Its highly expressive parabolic lines and bright colors evoke the “Googie” style, inspired by the space race and the technological advances of the era.

Further to the west stands another iconic building in the city of Royan, the Church of Notre-Dame de Royan. Its designer, Guillaume Gillet, envisioned a modern work with Gothic inspirations. Its bold monumentality and raw concrete contrast with the rest of the town, where light and colorful facades prevail. The saddle-shaped roof, suspended like a tent, unifies a structure made of V-shaped prestressed pillars, between which tall glass panels are inserted.

Alongside these major projects, many individual houses, equally eclectic, began to emerge. At the start of the reconstruction, a first trend took hold, marked by “Saintongeais” regionalism and pre-war models such as the castel or chalet. The plans were simple, rectangular or square, and paired with two- or four-sided tiled roofs.

It was only from 1952 that a significant number of building permit applications for modern villas were submitted, including the “Oasis” villa, designed by Pierre Marmouget. Strongly inspired by the new Brazilian architecture—introduced in France in 1947 through issues 13–14 of Architecture d’Aujourd’hui—he designed a single-story villa with smooth, horizontal, streamlined lines, perched on a series of pilotis. Its boomerang-shaped plan gave rise to its common name, the “Boomerang” villa.

In 2010, Royan was awarded the label “City of Art and History,” reflecting its active commitment to preserving and promoting its architectural heritage. This dedication is expressed through educational outreach initiatives aimed at both visitors and residents, including lectures, exhibitions, guided tours, and workshops.

On July 1, 2023, the Interpretation Center for Architecture and Heritage (Centre d’Interprétation de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine, CIAP) opened within the Palais des Congrès. This space features a permanent exhibition tracing the architectural and urban development of the city.

Capucine Rigoigne