The Palais Rameau is located at Lille. Designed by architects Auguste Mourcou and Henri Contamine, it was built between 1875 and 1879 thanks to a bequest to the municipality of Charles Rameau, then president of the Lille Horticultural Society, on condition that a building be erected to accommodate flower and fruit exhibitions as well as artistic exhibitions or musical festivals.
Of neo-Moorish inspiration, leaning on a metal structure and walls made up of alternating bricks and white stones, the vast building was topped by bulbs which have been replaced by pyramidions. The pediment is the work of Albert d'Arc, the sculptor Cordonnier who made the bas-reliefs.
Over the decades, the site has indeed hosted horticultural exhibitions but also concerts, dog, feline and poultry exhibitions.
In 1945, prisoners returning from Germany were housed there and school examinations were held there from 1930 to 1960.
In 1948, the palace was also the setting for the trial of five Gestapo agents.
Renovated in 2004, this exceptional greenhouse still hosts exhibitions and cultural events.
Ultimately, the palace could be integrated into the Catholic University to host a study and research unit on tomorrow's agriculture.
The palace, listed in the Inventory, can be visited during a public event or observed during a walk in this district of Lille (near the zoo and the Vauban Center). Information on +33 3 20 49 50 00.
