Saint-Nazaire: why is this old cinema being destroyed?

A page in the cinematographic history of Saint-Nazaire (Loire-Atlantique) turns.

The old Normandie room, located at the back of 37 avenue Albert-de-Mun, is being nibbled at, with a view to complete demolition.

An ambitious project can then begin on the long freed-up area and the adjoining reconstruction building.

A space for “territorial enhancement”

This project will include the “La Jonque” residence, a reference to the last official occupation of the place, the restaurant La Baie d’Halong. The current upstairs apartments will be rehabilitated into six social housing units by the social landlord Silène.

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On the ground floor, 730 m² of offices will be fitted out to accommodate, at the back, the future premises of the Saint-Nazaire regional planning agency (ADDRN).

And in front on avenue Albert-de-Mun, a 150 m platform² open to the public thought as a “space for presentation and enhancement of territories and projects”.

Exhibitions, conferences or symposiums will be organized there.

The Nantes firm “Avignon architect” has designed a bright building open to the outside, with bay windows and skylights.

Construction should begin in the summer of 2022. Delivery is planned for the beginning of 2024. A project estimated at €1.7 million.

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Normandy refers to a bygone era, that of independent rooms and single screens.

This 1,000-seat space was opened in 1952 by a local precursor of the 7^e art, Gaëtan Lagrange, who had also launched Paris in Pornichet, and made screenings at Jean-Bart in Saint-Marc-sur-Mer, at Caméo in Plaisance or in the hall of Union Méan Penhoët.

It was his daughter, Michèle, who ran France, rue Jean-Jaurès, launched in 1974.

In the 1970s, the naval city had a profusion of dark rooms. In addition to Normandy, France and Caméo, there was the Athénée (now Les Clubs) and the Trianon (replaced by the Korrigans) on avenue de la République, and finally the Celtic and its 600 seats on rue du Bois Savary.

The golden age of independent cinemas

All swept away by the wave of multiplexes and replaced by real estate projects and other stores (the Les Clubs complex was destroyed in 2003 in favor of the cultural store Forum, then Minifouine).

Last witness of this golden age, France, closed in 2001.

The City had bought the walls in 2014, first to install its art and essay cinema there, finally perpetuated in the Cadou room of the Maison des associations.

The municipality now has make it a community hall.

The Normandy has shut down in the early 80s, replaced by a furniture store, then a Chinese restaurant.

The building was once occupied by members of the Maison du Peuple.

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