In 1925 the local mayor, Eugène Milliès-Lacroix, proposed the construction of a casino in order to boost the appeal of the town's spa based tourist industry. The Paris architect André Granet, assisted by Roger-Henri Expert was mandated to implement the project. The sponsors and architects were keen that the new casino, built directly after the Salle Pleyel in Paris and shortly before the launch of the SS Normandie, should respect the still challenging Art Deco trends of the time.
Openingedit
July 1928 saw the inauguration of first auditorium of this kind in the department when more the a thousand people attended a performance of Gounod'sopera, Mireille. The building is constructed of reinforced concrete, and centred on an open-air amphitheatre, which is the basis for its name "Atrium". The bar is decorated with windows by Louis Barillet (1880 - 1948), then well known in France for his mastery of Stained glass.[1]
Degradationedit
The building is part of a larger development that also included the neighbouring Hôtel Splendid. It was acquired by the municipality in 1968. The passage of time proved that the reinforced concrete construction of the 1920s was ill-suited to the oceanic climate of France's western coast, and the casino's structural integrity deteriorated. A succession of half-hearted attempts at remediation failed to return the Atrium Casino to its earlier splendour and, sixty years after its inauguration, its poor condition led to its closure.
Rehabilitationedit
A more sustained restoration exercise began with the large auditorium, now able to accommodate up to 800 spectators which gained a first historical building listing (subsequently rescinded) in 1986. The sumptuous décor of the ceiling, walls and around the proscenium, engraved on panels of gold and silver stucco, presents people and animals against a floral background. The theatre space has nevertheless been equipped with modern technological features, and is used for a range of shows through the year including dance, drama and concerts. The casino area, subsequently restored, received its historical building listing in 2000 and was reopened to the public in 2005.[1]
Sources and notesedit
^ abcBase Mérimée: PA00083937, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
May 08, 2024
atrium, casino, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, september, . This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Atrium Casino news newspapers books scholar JSTOR September 2014 Learn how and when to remove this message Atrium Casino is the name of the casino at Dax in the south west of France It is listed under the relevant legislation as an historical building 1 Atrium CasinoHotel Splendid and Atrium CasinoAddress1 cours du Marechal Foch Dax Landes FranceOpening date1928ArchitectAndre GranetRoger Henri ExpertCoordinates43 42 39 N 1 03 21 E 43 71083 N 1 05583 E 43 71083 1 05583 Contents 1 Origins 2 Opening 3 Degradation 4 Rehabilitation 5 Sources and notesOrigins editIn 1925 the local mayor Eugene Millies Lacroix proposed the construction of a casino in order to boost the appeal of the town s spa based tourist industry The Paris architect Andre Granet assisted by Roger Henri Expert was mandated to implement the project The sponsors and architects were keen that the new casino built directly after the Salle Pleyel in Paris and shortly before the launch of the SS Normandie should respect the still challenging Art Deco trends of the time Opening editJuly 1928 saw the inauguration of first auditorium of this kind in the department when more the a thousand people attended a performance of Gounod s opera Mireille The building is constructed of reinforced concrete and centred on an open air amphitheatre which is the basis for its name Atrium The bar is decorated with windows by Louis Barillet 1880 1948 then well known in France for his mastery of Stained glass 1 Degradation editThe building is part of a larger development that also included the neighbouring Hotel Splendid It was acquired by the municipality in 1968 The passage of time proved that the reinforced concrete construction of the 1920s was ill suited to the oceanic climate of France s western coast and the casino s structural integrity deteriorated A succession of half hearted attempts at remediation failed to return the Atrium Casino to its earlier splendour and sixty years after its inauguration its poor condition led to its closure Rehabilitation editA more sustained restoration exercise began with the large auditorium now able to accommodate up to 800 spectators which gained a first historical building listing subsequently rescinded in 1986 The sumptuous decor of the ceiling walls and around the proscenium engraved on panels of gold and silver stucco presents people and animals against a floral background The theatre space has nevertheless been equipped with modern technological features and is used for a range of shows through the year including dance drama and concerts The casino area subsequently restored received its historical building listing in 2000 and was reopened to the public in 2005 1 Sources and notes edit a b c Base Merimee PA00083937 Ministere francais de la Culture in French Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Atrium Casino amp oldid 1019953217, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
