Ceyrat Town Hall-School

As in many small municipalities from the second half of the 19th century, the Ceyrat town hall shared its premises with the primary school. This former town hall-school features remarkable architecture.

Under the Third Republic, the general architectural style for new town hall projects was neo-classicism, often austere, with constant use of Volvic stone. The model was almost always that of a “town hall-school”, according to the principle of town hall areas located in the centre of the building and schools on the side wings, a girls’ side and a boys’ side. To control municipal spending, areas were shared and so were skills, with the schoolteacher sometimes also working as the town hall secretary.

The Ceyrat town hall-school retained this traditional layout, but innovated with its decorative script. It was built in 1932-1933, by Jean Amadon (1886-1954), also the architect for the polyclinic (1930) on the site of Hôtel-Dieu in Clermont-Ferrand. The building offered a balanced composition. The central part is projected, and features three bays on three levels, including an attic level. On either side of the front section, the two wings, each with eight bays, are intended for the boys’ and girls’ school, with independent entrances. Above are the teachers’ apartments. The tops of the walls are decorated with an entablature enhanced by a frieze. The two bays closest to the front section are decorated with bossing to further enhance the central part.

In the mid-1970s, the pre-school left the building shortly after the departure of the elementary school. The town hall now occupies the entire building.