Grand Salon

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It is made up of the two connecting salons that formed part of the apartment of the first director of the Institut océanographique, Paul Regnard. Richly decorated, with a fine parquet floor, a painted rib-vaulted ceiling and above all an imposing neo-Renaissance overmantel, it conceals five medallions whose subjects recall medieval illuminations.

• “ Tueri Nec Mirari ” • “ Look, but do not wonder ”
• “ Nec Nihi Tenebra ” • “ There is no darkness for me ”
• “ Pace Pace Dolce Pace ” • “ Peace, peace, sweet peace ”
• “ Rego Regorque ” • “ I rule and I am ruled ”
• “ Labor Nobis Robur Et Solatium ” • “ Work is for us a strength and a consolation ”

This sequence of reception rooms continues into a gallery whose openwork wooden balustrade could accommodate musicians. From here a staircase leads up to the tower.

The Grand Salon appeals through its majestic architecture, its vaulted ceilings with painted decor, its tall windows and its elegant bookcases, which give it an atmosphere at once warm and prestigious. The symbols and mottoes punctuating the space, drawn from the values of knowledge, peace and exploration, recall the scientific and humanist heritage of the Maison de l’Océan.

Connecting with the Library, it naturally hosts the catering that accompanies meetings and conferences held in the neighbouring spaces: welcome coffees, indulgent breaks, lunches or cocktails. It can also become the setting for more exclusive events, notably seated dinners in an intimate, refined frame. Its remarkable aesthetic finally makes it a particularly sought-after location for filming, interviews, photo shoots and audiovisual production.