The day Christian Estrosi leaves the mayor’s office in Nice, no one will be able to take away the credit for having shaken things up… and the walls.
Yesterday, it was the city hall’s turn (not exactly Versailles) to get a facelift with the inauguration of the reception hall (renamed Jules Chรฉret, after the Nice painter of the Belle รpoque whose paintings adorn the walls) where the Municipal Council Chamber used to be, which has now been relocated to the ground floor.
The Mayor of Nice was quite proud to present to the invited municipal staff “this ceremonial hall worthy of receptions that will be offered to the people of Nice and foreign personalities to our city” and to express his self-satisfaction: “It’s a magnificent space.”
Indeed, it’s somewhat difficult to recognize where the municipal council members’ benches and the “fishbowl” intended for the public and press representatives used to be.
And how can one lament the removal of carpet that has been replaced today by a beautifully marqueted oak parquet that was hidden?
As for the walls, their new whiteness is enhanced by superb moldings. Two large chandeliers: each with a height of two meters and composed of more than 450 crystal pieces, will provide the illumination!
And to complete the ensemble, a trompe-lโลil “sky” that art craft students will create this August, as part of a workshop-school by the Chamber of Trades.
It was also an opportunity for the Mayor of Nice to recall the work of beautification and modernization of the city hall since 2011.
In 2011, it was the renovation of the main staircase (trompe-lโลil stonework, new lighting, 1930s-style windows) and the “salle des pas perdus” (replacing the frescoes depicting the history of Nice with contemporary artworks from the Nice School).
In 2012, it was the facade refurbishment of No. 5, rue Hรดtel-de-Ville (a trompe-lโลil facade like the annex city hall on rue Bosio).
In 2013, it was the renovation of the main building. The Sardinian yellow and red colors replaced the dingy pink that was there before.
In 2014, it was the embellishment of the city hall entrance located on rue Saint-Franรงois de Paule with the enlargement of the door, the recomposition of the facade (creating symmetry, etc.), and the erection of four fluted columns. All this to give more majesty to this entrance that opens onto the sea and Pompidou Square.
In 2015, it was the transfer of the Civil Registry services to the former municipal restaurant of Corvรฉsy.
And by the end of the year: the new municipal council chamber topped with a magnificent dome and the glass enclosure of the grand hall, with a 6.5-meter-high glass wall that will ensure perfect transparency while allowing for the creation of a reception area that is both noble and functional.
