Arles - Hall of the Lustucru site
- department: Bouches-du-Rhône
- commune: Arles
- naming: Hall of the Lustucru site
- address : 22 avenue of liberation
- authors: Edouard ALLAR (engineer), Etienne BENTZ (architect), Léonce MULLER (chief architect of the Exhibition), Edouard RAMBERT (deputy architect), André CHANAS (architect (reassembly, 1951))
- date: 1906
- protection: unprotected building
- label patrimoine XXe: Commission régionale du patrimoine et des sites (CRPS) du 3 July 2012
The large hall of the Lustucru site is an impressive metal structure. It was originally the main vessel of the Grand Palais built in Marseille, in 1906, in the Chanot Park on the occasion of the National Colonial Exhibition. This beautiful specimen of metal structure, designed by the Société de Construction de Levallois-Perret (formerly Compagnie des Etablissements Eiffel), is a heritage object all the more precious as it is rare. It is a major witness to the history of metal construction and, beyond, to the history of 20th century architecture. This metal structure was designed by Edouard Allar (1873-1936), a young engineer who graduated from the Ecole Centrale des Arts et Manufactures (class 1897) and began his career with the Société de Construction de Levallois-Perret as secretary to the eminent engineer Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923).
The fate of the large hall is unique: from 1906 to 1939, the metal structure will be "dressed" several times for various events. It was then requisitioned and occupied by the French, German and American army until 1945. Finally, it will be moved up to Arles where it will be used as an agricultural shed in 1951, before being rediscovered after more than half a century.
The large Lustucru hall is made of low-carbon steel. It measures approximately 99 m long and 44.50 m wide. It covers an area of 4405.50 m². Its interior height is around 20 meters.
With a rectangular plan, the hall consists of a central nave flanked on its four sides by aisles. Originally, a gallery served by two double-flight circular staircases was developed on the aisles. The hall then offered about 5670 m² of useful area (4350 on the ground floor; 1320 at the gallery level). Gallery and stairs, which were wooden on metal frame, were damaged during World War II. It seems that they have never been traced, even partially, to the Arlesian site.
The metallic structure, now visible on the Lustucru site, is thus typical of the metallic construction of the turn of the 20th century. Formally, it remains in line with the «Eiffel style». On the other hand, from a technical point of view, it shows the transition from Puddlé iron to steel within the Société de construction de Levallois-Perret.
The structure of the large hall is relatively well preserved even though it shows, in several places, traces of alterations likely caused by fires and adaptations to its agricultural use. Nevertheless, it has reached us, only amputated from its gallery, testifying to the flexibility of use of metallic architecture.
- Source: Inventory study of the architectural and urban production of Arles and Tarascon (13) from 1900 to 1980, drac paca/ Eléonore Marantz-Jaen, 2010
Read also in Heritage of the 20th century, the study Arles, city and architecture of the 20th century
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