Bureau de poste

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Ministère de la Culture, in French. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Ministère de la Culture; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

History

The post office building was constructed during the 1920s in order to meet the growth of the city and as a replacement for the old one dating from 1838, the latter no longer being able to cope with the new requirements linked to this development. Architect Pierre Chirol was tasked with integrating into his plans and over two square storeys the post office itself with sorting room, a telephone exchange as well as the functional dwelling of the postmaster. The street façades are marked by a vernacular style: false timber framing, roof overhang, oriel struck with Norman arms. However, more modern elements of Art Deco style were also favoured. The reinforced concrete construction opts for a traditional roof for street alignment only, the remaining massed construction adopting a terraced covering. The room reserved for the public has preserved all of its interior arrangements: door vestibule, furnishings, counter and telephone booths. The painter-glazier Tambouret created the stained glass for the large openings and the Parisian mosaicist Massacry was called upon for the wall and floor cladding. In the early 1980s, a false ceiling was installed and other more modest modifications were made without, however, threatening the authentic character of the whole.