La sous-préfecture de Douai, modèle architectural des années 1970

Abstract

Douai became the prefecture of the Nord department in 1790, but in 1803 became a sub-prefecture. The administration was initially housed in premises adjoining the imperial court but moved to a private town house in the centre of Douai ten years later. This building quickly became cramped and overcrowded but it was not until 1962 that the decision to build a new sub-prefecture was taken. Several sites were considered in various urban redevelopment zones, but none of these were selected. Finally, a four and a half-hectare site in a developing residential area was chosen. The new sub-prefecture was built on the site of the former Vertongen factory, close to where the fortifications of the town once stood. When construction work began in 1975, problems with unstable foundations and differential subsidence became apparent. The Douai sub-prefecture may be said to reflect architectural trends of the 1970s. It is a succession of simple volumes, the facades covered in panels of raw concrete, creating a balanced pattern of full and empty surfaces. The use of clear and glazed window panels creates a contrast between the light and opacity of the structure. At the suggestion of the sub-prefect at the time of construction, white cement was added to ensure the building did not ‘look like a bunker’. The furniture purchased for the new sub-prefecture premises fits perfectly with the architecture of the time. To heat the building, an electric heating system was chosen—a first for a government public building. The sub-prefecture was officially opened in September 1978. The innovative building design generated much criticism, with the press going so far as to declare that ‘in terms of aesthetics, it is difficult to speak of a success,’ an opinion that is still shared by many of Douai’s residents today.

Keywords

• architecture
• furniture
• raw concrete
• cement
• sub-prefecture
• energy (electricity)