Carré Curial, Cultural center in Chambéry, France.

Carré Curial is an architectural complex in Chambéry comprising four buildings arranged in a square around a central courtyard. Covered arcades border the courtyard on all sides, and the roofline features characteristic mansard designs with slate tiles.

Built between 1801 and 1805 on the site of the former Ursuline convent, the barracks lodged 700 soldiers in rooms of 48, with as many more under the roof; the fourth building held officers and army stores. In 1815 Savoy returned to Sardinian rule and a cavalry quarter with stables and a riding school was added. The French army took over in 1860, a German garrison and prisons occupied part of it during the Second World War, and the military stayed until 1975. The city bought it, and rehabilitation from 1980 produced the cultural, administrative and commercial centre inaugurated in 1993.

The name honours Philibert Jean-Baptiste Curial, a Savoyard general made baron and count of the Empire under Napoleon. Since the 1993 opening, the courtyard has hosted restaurants, an art gallery, a post office and Savoie council services. The bars and nightclubs in and around the Carré make it Chambéry's main nightlife spot, with regular late-night bustle.

The complex is easily accessible by foot from nearby public transportation and central areas of Chambéry. The arcaded walkways are open to the public, allowing visitors to stroll through the courtyard and visit shops and dining venues without formal entry requirements.

The four barracks buildings each measured about 100 metres per side, and the complex followed the plan of the Invalides in Paris. Soldiers slept in rooms of 48, housing 700 men, with room for as many again under the roof. The name honours General Philibert Jean-Baptiste Curial, a Savoyard made baron and count of the Empire for his service in the Napoleonic wars.