Halles Martenot

English translation

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History

From 1483, a market was created in Rennes at the foot of the Lices. This Lices square occupies the location of La Lice, a medieval enclosed field where tournaments and celebrations were held. In 1622, a permanent subsistence market was established there. After the destruction of the market hall, the construction of spacious covered halls was included in the plan for the reconstruction of the city. From 1828 onwards, the municipality, due to the growing importance of the market, envisaged various solutions to enlarge and cover it. In 1861, Martenot established a first project. In 1867, he proposed two pavilions of equal size, separated by the Place de la Trinité. The work was completed in 1871. Each pavilion measures 32 metres wide by 41 metres long, comprising seven bays in width and nine in depth, each of 4.50 metres. The covered area represents more than 1,300 m² sufficient for approximately 400 merchants. It is a wholesale market operating every day of the week, and a market fair on Saturday. Thanks to the combination of new and old materials (granite, painted brick, iron and glass), this architectural ensemble represents an innovation in Rennes. A third pavilion was built by Leray in late 1907. A plan to connect the two East pavilions was proposed in 1908. The work was auctioned off in 1913.