Villa Halidrys à Guéthary (1928)Fondation du patrimoine
When tourism took off on the Basque Coast
At the beginning of the 20th century, some wealthy people who spent their summers there were so seduced by the beauty of the region that they decided to build villas there. The trend for eclectic neo-Gothic architecture had given way to other styles, including traditional local styles of architecture. This was how neo-Basque architecture was born.
Seaside-inspired architecture
Neo-Basque architecture was popular from the early 20th century in the Basque Country, as evidenced by Villa Saraléguinéa, which was built in Guéthary in 1909. This type of architecture was inspired by the farms of Labourd (one of the three Basque regions in France), with their symmetrical double-sloped roofs and half-timbering painted in oxblood red (for the livestock breeders), dark green (for the farmers), or Prussian blue (for the fishermen).
Villa Saraleguinea à GuétharyFondation du patrimoine
Villa Saraléguinéa is named after the wife of the man who commissioned it, Jacques dit Hippolyte Lesca, who made his fortune in South America.
Since the 1950s, this superb residence has been home to the Guéthary Museum. It houses historical collections as well as contemporary works of art.
Villa Halidrys à Guéthary (1928)Fondation du patrimoine
Villa Halidrys, an ocean-facing villa built in 1928, is another sumptuous example of neo-Basque architecture being commissioned for use by families and for leisure purposes.
Eskalduna, maison de retraite à GuétharyFondation du patrimoine
Tourism also led to the construction of hotels in the neo-Basque style.
This was the case with the Eskualduna building. It was built in the 1920s and is now a retirement home.
Civil architecture
At the end of World War I, the taste for neo-Basque architecture spread to the communes of France. This led to the construction of several public buildings, including the Guéthary town hall, which was designed by the architect Ferdinand Brana in the 1920s.
Détail du décor de la Mairie de GuétharyFondation du patrimoine
The façade features a sculpture of the face of a typical Basque man, sporting the characteristic beret. The sculpture is testament to the Art Deco style that blended with neo-Basque architecture from the 1920s.
La Poste de GuétharyFondation du patrimoine
The Guéthary post office is also decorated in neo-Basque colors and was built in 1939 by Jean-Louis Canouet.
Place centrale de BidartFondation du patrimoine
This architectural style spread through all the villages of the Basque Coast, as evidenced by the central square in Bidart, where the town hall was built in 1937.
The Getari Enea movie theater
The Getari Enea movie theater is characteristic of neo-Basque architecture, with a touch of Art Deco. Founded in 1936, it was used as a movie theater and auditorium until the early 2000s, when it closed down due to lack of maintenance.
Dessin d'architecte du cinéma Getari EneaFondation du patrimoine
A 1936 architectural drawing shows that the building has retained its original architecture and has not been modified.
Salle du cinéma Getari Enea avant la restaurationFondation du patrimoine
In 2016, a patrons' association, called Association Les Amis de Getari Enea, was founded with the aim of bringing this historic building back to life. The theater had already fueled the imagination of three generations of Guéthary residents.
They decided to restore its original fittings and colors.
Salle et balcon restaurés ddu cinéma Getari EneaFondation du patrimoine
The seats and the walls were restored to their former royal blue, and the best sound and projection systems were brought in.
All these restorations were carried out with support from the Fondation du Patrimoine (Cultural Heritage Foundation).
Façade du cinéma Getari EneaFondation du patrimoine
The renovation works, which were carried out as part of a back-to-work development scheme, were completed in early 2020.
The doors of the Getari Enea movie theater were reopened to the public for movie screenings, as well as for multicultural activities.
Rencontre avec Jean-Pierre Penin - L'architecture néo-basque à GuétharyFondation du patrimoine
Jean-Pierre Penin, the architect who led the restoration of Getari Enea, presents a video in which he talks about the characteristics of neo-Basque architecture.
We would like to thank Jean Curutcharry, President of the Association Les Amis de Getari Enea, and Jean-Pierre Penin—the architect in charge of the restoration of the Getari Enea movie theater—for their invaluable help in creating this content.
If you would like to support Fondation du Patrimoine's projects, please follow this link: https://www.fondation-patrimoine.org/les-dons-et-soutiens
