The town hall of Grenoble has just been included in the list of “historical monuments” of Isère, by the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC). This registration should allow major renovations to the building in the years to come.
Its large central tower, planted at the entrance to the Paul Mistral park, does not go unnoticed in the landscape of the capital of the Alps. At the beginning of 2023, the town hall of Grenoble was included in the list of “historical monuments” of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC) in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
This distinction may surprise with regard to the aesthetics of the building. But it is explained in particular by its architecture: “From the outset, it was thought of as an overall design that brought together an architect, Maurice Novarina, a designer, Joseph-André Motte, who worked on the interior fittings, and an engineer, Jean Prouvé, who notably introduced in the building the concept of curtain wall”explains Charlotte Lejeune, heritage conservation officer for the City of Grenoble.
A design and œworks of art
“The building is quite easy to read when you look at it from the outside. It is made up of two volumes: a plinth, which is called the ‘galette’, and a large offset tower on the west side. It is a composition that we find a lot in modern architecture”she continues.
For Charlotte Lejeune, this architecture consists of welcoming the public on the ground floor “where citizenship is exercised and where public life unfolds”. The first floor of the “galette” welcomes the elected representatives of the majority and the opposition: “Maurice Novarina’s intention is to allow elected officials to be in direct contact with the public and places of life.” As for the floors of the tower, they are occupied by the various services of the municipality.
The town hall of Grenoble is home to eight œworks of art within it. Including an imposing brass sculpture by Pierre Sabatier, which separates the reception room from the council room: “All the œworks of art have been designed in such a way that they fully integrate with the architecture.”
With this inscription, the building is now protected. The municipality hopes, thereafter, to classify the infrastructure as historical monuments, “the upper stage”, according to Pierre Mériaux, assistant to the municipal real estate. This ranking will make it possible to obtain funding for future renovations: “We will finally be able to treat this building and give it a new life for the next 50 years. If all goes well, we plan to invest up to 30 million euros by 2027 for different phases of work, including the restoration of œworks of art”he explains.
“We are also going to work on the various safety measures: fire, network, electricity… But also on thermal performance. We are going to insulate this building to make it compatible with the Grenoble of the 21st century”continues Pierre Mériaux.
Twelve stories high, the town hall of Grenoble was inaugurated in 1967, a few months before the 1968 Winter Olympics organized by the city. It thus replaced the Hotel de Lesdiguières, located near the banks of the Isère, now host to the Maison de l’International.
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