Halle aux toiles, Historical market hall in central Rouen, France
The Halle aux Toiles is a market hall situated in central Rouen between two historic squares. Its most distinctive feature is the exposed concrete vaults visible across its upper levels.
The Halle aux Toiles is the surviving south building of Rouen's former market halls, classified as a monument historique in 1941. It burned in June 1940 and was rebuilt to the same design by architects Raymond Barbé and Henri Jullien, work completed in 1961. The north wall and the fierte Saint-Romain were among the few structures still standing between the cathedral and the Seine.
The name refers to the cloth market once held here; the surviving south hall is the last of Rouen's old halls. Since its postwar rebuilding it has served as a venue for fairs, exhibitions and congresses, with meeting rooms upstairs. In 2022 it was announced that the choir organ of the church of Saint-Nicaise would be transferred here.
The hall stands between the place de la Haute-Vieille-Tour to the north and the place de la Basse-Vieille-Tour to the south, a short walk from Rouen cathedral. The memorial to the victims of the 1940-1944 bombardments stands against its west face, by the gate of the former customs house. The upper-floor meeting rooms are reached by the staircase of honour.
The northern facade contains the Chapel of La Fierte Saint-Romain, where ceremonial prisoner releases took place during the Renaissance. This architectural feature links the building's commercial past with a tradition of mercy and clemency.
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