Prefecture hotel of Charente-Maritime, Administrative mansion in La Rochelle, France.
The Prefecture hotel of Charente-Maritime on Reaumur Street is a combination of three originally separate private residences that were united into a single complex over time. The ensemble spans multiple floors and today houses the region's administrative offices.
The Poupet residence was built in 1785 for a wealthy shipowner and served as one of the foundations for the later prefecture building. In the early 1800s, additional structures were added to consolidate regional administrative functions in one location.
The building displays architectural features shaped for the wealthy merchant class of the port city in the 1700s. The rooms and proportions show how the local elite lived and displayed their wealth during that period.
The building is located centrally in La Rochelle and is easy to find from the street, but the interior is generally not open to public viewing since it functions as an active administrative building. Visitors can observe the facade and architectural details from the street.
The facade of the Lanusse residence shows visible traces of changes made over two centuries, documenting different building styles. These architectural layers remind visitors how taste and construction methods evolved across different periods.
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