Destination Le Havre
Poetic reinforced concrete: an Auguste Perret themed trip
Discover modern Le Havre and its UNESCO World Heritage-designated city center
The pièce de résistance: Saint-Joseph Church, Le Havre’s “light house,” and its lantern tower
Le Havre, February 1, 1945: Raoul Dautry, minister of Reconstruction and Urban Development, assigns August Perret and his team a colossal task, rebuild the leveled city. The citywide construction site becomes their playground.
Highlights:
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Learn about the city’s history and post-war transformation with Ana bela de Araujo (architect, professor at Marseille’s Ecole Nationale supérieure d'Architecture and an Auguste Perret specialist) while touring Le Havre’s Hôtel de Ville and enjoy a spectacular view from the 18th floor.
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Explore Le Havre’s most iconic building. Perret and Audigier’s Saint-Joseph Church dominates the city skyline with its impressive 107 meter high lantern tower. This “light house” is also a memorial to WWII bombing victims. The light streaming though Marguerite Huré’s (1895-1967) nearly 6 500 stained-glass windows contrasts strikingly with the smooth concrete.
Video: Saint-Joseph Church, symbol of Le Havre’s renaissance, clip from the program Des Racines et des Ailes « En remontant la Seine» broadcast 12/07/2016
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The “Volcanos”: this pair, the complete opposite of Perret’s style, is all curves. The “Big Volcano”, an auditorium, and its brother, the “little Volcano,” were designed by Oscar Niemeyer, an architect and sculptor known for designing Brazil’s capital, Brasília.
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Perret’s model apartment: this museum-apartment immerses you in the 1950s, with period dishes and furniture, and is an exact replica of the space Perret exhibited at the 1947 International Exhibition on Urbanism and Housing.
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The Musée André Malraux has one of France’s most important impressionist collections, the Senn collection.
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Past to present: visit the Maison de l’Armateur, designed by the city’s architect, Paul-Michel Thibault (1735-1799), constructed starting in 1790, and spared by the 1944 bombings. Then, take a tour of the Bains des docks, Jean Nouvel’s contemporary take on Roman baths, and lounge by the pool.
The curves of the little volcano© Daniel Briot | Oscar Niemeyer
Tour overview and price:
4 days/3 nights trip organiszed for groups of 10+ people.
The average price for this trip is 920€ VAT included (double room, price per person for a group of ten). The average for a single room supplement is 145€. Price subject to change based on season and group size.
This price includes:
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All guided tours and entry fees specified in the itinerary
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Accomodation in a double room in a 3 star hotel
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An english speaking tour manager
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All breakfasts
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Transportation to and from Le Havre’s train station and transportation between all locations included on the itinerary
By request, we can reserve roundtrip train tickets from any city in France to Le Havre and/or include all meals. International airfare is not included.
Groups:
For questions or to request an estimate, please contact us. Trips can be organized to fit your schedule, subject to our experts’ availability.
Individuals:
Please contact us to request a personalized estimate. You can join a group or we can arrange a private tour.
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