Cinéma-dancing
MonumentHidden Treasure
Cinéma-dancing, located in Saint-Quay-Portrieux (Département 22), is a modern edifice built in the 19th-20th centuries. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Modern (19th-20th century)
- Location
- Saint-Quay-Portrieux, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.6503, -2.8315
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00135258
An Art Deco jewel on the Breton coastline, this dancing cinema in Saint-Quay-Portrieux epitomises the golden age of seaside entertainment in the 1930s, when film screenings were combined with dance nights overlooking the English Channel.
History
In the heart of Saint-Quay-Portrieux, a seaside resort in the Côtes-d'Armor region that has been popular since the Belle Époque, the cinema-dancing is a rare and precious reminder of the popular leisure culture that flourished on Brittany's coasts between the wars. Classified as a historic monument by decree on 21 November 1995, this singular building combines in a single structure two festive functions that punctuated the life of seaside resorts in the early 20th century: the cinema and the dance floor. What makes this place truly unique is the rarity of this type of hybrid establishment still preserved in France. Although cinema-dancings abounded along the Atlantic and Channel coasts in the 1930s and 1940s, most succumbed to commercial change or demolition in the post-war period. The one in Saint-Quay-Portrieux has survived the decades with sufficient architectural integrity to merit national protection, making it a living document of the cultural and social practices of the Breton holiday bourgeoisie. Visiting the building is like travelling back in time. The geometric shapes, stylised ornamentation and general atmosphere of the building immediately recreate the aesthetics of an era when collective pleasure was readily dressed up in modernity. It's easy to imagine holidaymakers in linen suits hurrying to the evening session, before gliding to the dance floor to the sound of a ballroom band. The setting of Saint-Quay-Portrieux amplifies the charm of the place. Nestling between the Bay of Saint-Brieuc and the rocky capes of the Côtes-d'Armor, the town offers an authentic maritime environment, far removed from mass tourism, where the dancing cinema is part of a seaside urban fabric that is still legible in its architectural coherence of the 1920s-1950s.
Architecture
The cinema-dancing in Saint-Quay-Portrieux is typical of the leisure architecture of the inter-war period, influenced by the Art Deco style and functional modernism. The façade, designed to attract and impress, had to display a certain theatricality: probably punctuated by pilasters, geometric friezes and a prominent marquee announcing the programmes, it combined commercial seduction with a stylistic statement specific to the period. The interior is divided into two distinct spaces with complementary functions. The cinema, equipped with a tiered seating area or a room with a sloping floor to give a clear view of the screen, could accommodate several hundred spectators on the big summer evenings. The dance hall was larger and brighter, offering the surface area required for the dancers' movements, with a well-groomed parquet floor and a platform reserved for the musicians. The two spaces probably communicated via a foyer or a distribution corridor, facilitating transitions between the two activities. The materials used reflect regional building practices and the economy of the leisure building: painted rendering on rubble stone or brickwork, metal joinery for the large openings, a low-pitched roof or terrace depending on the modernist aesthetic adopted. The interior decoration was to feature geometric stucco, lamps with lampshades and mirrors characteristic of the seaside style of the 1930s.
Related Figures
Le ou les promoteurs locaux ayant financé la construction de l'établissement dans l'entre-deux-guerresL'architecte régional ayant conçu l'édifice, probablement issu de l'École des Beaux-Arts de Rennes ou de ParisLes gérants successifs de l'établissement qui en assurèrent l'animation tout au long du XXe siècleLes orchestres de bal bretons et les musiciens de jazz qui se produisirent sur la piste de danseLes inspecteurs des Monuments Historiques ayant instruit le dossier de protection aboutissant à l'arrêté de 1995
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Cinéma-dancing located?
Cinéma-dancing is located in Saint-Quay-Portrieux, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Cinéma-dancing built?
Cinéma-dancing dates back to a period built in the modern era (19th-20th century).
Is Cinéma-dancing open to visitors?
Cinéma-dancing is currently closed to visitors.