A Meticulous Restoration in Villers-sur-Mer, France - €2,575,000
Villers-sur-Mer was founded by Félix Pigeory, a Parisian architect, who bought about twenty hectares of land with his private funds. The town first expanded on the heights of the Vaches Noires cliffs with villas built by the Empire aristocracy, followed by the construction on plots of land by the sea, notably with the creation of a casino. It then became a well-known family resort. The first municipal baths and showers opened in 1913. At the time, they comprised sixteen cabins built on two levels, served by two galleries that encircled a patio topped by a glass roof. This 1913 building is now the only remaining evidence of this past activity. Converted into a shop and garage in the 1950s, the building has undergone numerous transformations since that time. Driven by heritage enthusiasts, major work has been carried out since 2010. Today, the house has been restored to its former glory, particularly the facade and the patio. Indoors, the restoration has saved two of the sixteen historic cabins, as well as the four murals in the hallway, ceramics by Charles Catteau. Between the levels, stone plaques frame enamelled tiles bearing the inscription "Établissement Municipal, bains chauds, hydrothérapie" (Municipal establishment, hot baths, hydrotherapy).
