Les Sables-d'Olonne abandons Nacéo maritime museum project
Nicolas Chénéchaud, the recently elected mayor of Les Sables-d'Olonne, has decided to cancel the Nacéo maritime history museum initiative. This project, which began in 2019 and was approved in January 2022 with a budget of €7.9 million (excluding tax), aimed to celebrate the region's maritime heritage and responded to requests from the archaeological society Olona dating back to 1924. Planned for Château Saint-Clair and designed by Tétrarc, the project faced resident concerns in 2023 regarding the hall's height, prompting a reduction from 10.5 to 7.8 meters. By 2024, structural complications halted progress, leading to a focus on a €2.26 million conservation project, which concluded in July 2026. Chénéchaud, who took office in March 2026, remarked that construction costs had surged, with €750,000 already allocated for studies.
Key facts
- The Nacéo maritime museum project in Les Sables-d'Olonne has been abandoned by new mayor Nicolas Chénéchaud.
- The project was officially adopted in January 2022 with a budget of €7.9 million (HT).
- It was intended to satisfy requests from the society Olona dating back to 1924.
- The museum was to be located in the moats and interior of Château Saint-Clair, linked to Tour d'Arundel.
- Architectural plans by Tétrarc were revised to reduce hall height from 10.5m to 7.8m after resident concerns.
- Structural issues discovered in 2024 led to prioritization of conservation, costing €2.26 million (HT).
- The restored Tour d'Arundel reopened to the public on July 25, 2026.
- Construction costs had doubled from the original estimate of around €8 million.
- About €750,000 was spent on studies, including part of the tower's restoration.
- The municipality may seek an alternative way to valorize maritime history.
Entities
Institutions
- Olona
- Tétrarc
- Ville des Sables-d'Olonne
- Le Journal des Arts
Locations
- Les Sables-d'Olonne
- France
- Château Saint-Clair
- Tour d'Arundel
- Nantes