Hôtel de Ville, Grenoble
| Hôtel de Ville | |
|---|---|
 The tower of the Hôtel de Ville in March 2007 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | City hall |
| Architectural style | Modern style |
| Location | Grenoble, France |
| Coordinates | 45°11′11″N 5°44′11″E / 45.1864°N 5.7363°E |
| Completed | 1967 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Maurice Novarina |
The Hôtel de Ville (French pronunciation: [otɛl də vil], City Hall) is the local seat of government in Grenoble, France. It was designated a monument historique by the French government in 2023.[1]
History
[edit]
The Hôtel de Ville was commissioned to replace the 17th-century Hôtel de Lesdiguières, which had been the home of François de Bonne, Duke of Lesdiguières and subsequent governors of Dauphiné. It became the local seat of government when it was sold to the city council in 1719.[2][3][4]
In the mid-20th century the city council decided to commission a modern building. The site selected for the new building, on the edge of Paul Mistral Park, was occupied by military buildings and was part of the site of the International Exhibition of Hydropower and Tourism in 1925. The project formed part of preparations for the 1968 Winter Olympics. The French Government gave approval to proceed in 1962 and construction of the new building commenced, using steel, glass, aluminium and concrete, in 1965. It was designed in the modern style and the main architect was Maurice Novarina, assisted by Jacques Giovannoni, Jacques Christin and Marcel Welti. The building was opened by interior minister Christian Fouchet, mayor Hubert Dubedout and sports minister François Missoffe on 18 December 1967.[5][6][7]
The design involved a 12-storey tower, clad in a curtain walling designed by Jean Prouvé, sitting on a horizontal podium, accessible by a staircase. The foundations were between 15 metres (49 ft) and 18 metres (59 ft) deep, and the tower was 46.5 metres (153 ft) high.[8] Internally, offices related to local government and the mayor were located on the ground floor, and those related to local services in the tower.[6]
In March 2003, the building was one of several in Grenoble to be given the "Patrimoine du XXe siècle" (20th Century Heritage) status by the French state.[9] In 2016, this status was succeeded by the similar "Architecture contemporaine remarquable" (Remarkable Contemporary Architecture).[10]
In 2017, the City Hall was told that it failed modern fire regulations, particularly in relation to its tower and that the paper archives on the ground floor were a potential fuel source for a fire.[11] In the early hours of September 2019, there was a fire in the council chamber, which authorities believed to be an act of arson.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ Base Mérimée: PA38000046, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
- ^ "Ancien Hôtel de Lesdiguières". Grenoble Tourism. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
- ^ Prudhomme, Auguste (1888). Histoire de Grenoble. Vol. 2. Alexandre Gratier. p. 487.
- ^ Inventaire général des richesses d'art de la France Province: Monuments civils. Ministère de l'instruction publique et des beaux arts. 1892. p. 25.
- ^ Fontana, Julie (9 February 2018). "50 ans après: l'Hôtel de Ville" [50 years later: the City Hall]. Gre Mag (in French). Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ a b "L'Hôtel de Ville de la modernité" [The modern-day City Hall] (PDF) (in French). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ "Focus: Hôtel de Ville, Grenoble" (PDF). Grenoble Patrimoine. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
- ^ "Grenoble City Hall". Structurae. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ Corubolo, Charline (18 April 2017). "Grenoble : zoom sur douze bâtiments phares du XXe siècle" [Grenoble: focus on twelve iconic buildings of the 20th century]. Le Petit Bulletin (in French). Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ "Hôtel de Ville" [City Hall] (in French). Grenoble Patrimoine. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ Fourgeaud, Gérard (31 July 2019). "L'hôtel de Ville de Grenoble pourrait-il se transformer en tour infernale ?" [Could Grenoble City Hall transform into a towering inferno?] (in French). France Bleu. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ "L'incendie à la mairie de Grenoble est d'origine criminelle" [Fire at Grenoble City Hall was of criminal origin]. Le Monde (in French). Agence France Presse. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2022.