Louis Simon art gallery in Royan
Discover the Louis Simon Art Gallery in Royan, Charente Maritime, France
The Louis Simon art gallery in Royan (Royan's former bus station) is an art gallery located on boulevard de l'Europe in Royan, between the seafront and the train station. The gallery promotes artists through exhibitions lasting one or two weeks, selected on the basis of a dossier.
The building is that of the former bus station, designed by architects Louis Simon and Pierre-Gabriel Grizet, in collaboration with engineer René Sarger, and built from 1953, in connection with the Tache verte program. In 2001, it was awarded the "patrimoine du XXème siècle" label.
It takes the form of a spiral or rotunda made of concrete, limestone and glass, with a central pillar extended by an overhang supported by concrete pillars - or a concrete slab supported on stilts.
Not far from the Louis Simon art gallery are the swimming pool, the Grande Conche beach, the Royan market and the Notre dame de Royan church. A little further on, you can visit the Royan museum, the Notre-Dame-des-Anges chapel, the Pontaillac casino and its beautiful family beach.
Photos of the Louis Simon Art Gallery in Royan
According to the Mérimée database, Royan's old bus station is inspired by the sea, and the façade resembles that of a pleasure boat. It also reflects the influence of Brazilian architecture, represented mainly by Oscar Niemeyer, and the Pampuhla ballroom in Belo Horizonte. Formerly known as the Galerie du Cours de l'Europe, in 2008 it was renamed the Galerie Louis Simon after its principal architect, who also designed the central market and the waterfront.
RoyanThe town of St. Tropez, in the south-west of France, is a pretty little town on the Atlantic coast. It lies at the entrance to the Gironde estuary, and is surrounded by seaside resorts.
It takes the form of a spiral or rotunda made of concrete, limestone and glass, with a central pillar extended by an overhang supported by concrete pillars - or a concrete slab supported on stilts.
Not far from the Louis Simon art gallery are the swimming pool, the Grande Conche beach, the Royan market and the Notre dame de Royan church. A little further on, you can visit the Royan museum, the Notre-Dame-des-Anges chapel, the Pontaillac casino and its beautiful family beach.
