OUR STORY
Louis Gaume, the Pyla area’s visionary entrepreneur
“Back in the day, only the wind and sand would sweep across this unwelcoming land that is the Pilat dunes, from the Moulleau neighbourhood to the Salie beach. This all changed when forward-thinking entrepreneur Louis Gaume committed himself to expanding the Arcachon bay seaside resort to the South, beyond the Moulleau neighbourhood, all the while creating the Corniche and the Haïtza neighbourhoods.”
Originally from Franchesse, a small town in the Allier region, no one could have foreseen Louis Gaume’s future. He couldn’t have been further from the sea, and the first profession he practiced was that of zinc roofer. For his apprenticeship, he travelled to Switzerland and Germany. The training in itself was hard, but so were the environment (cold and snow) and the unceasing conflicts. Louis Gaume was profoundly fond of the Tronçais forest in the Allier region, which is why he imported oak to build houses in the Arcachon Bay. He arrived in Arcachon in 1912 as a Tour de France companion at the age of 23. He was hired by a carpenter, Cazobon, and was quick to feel at home working alongside residents whose villas needed constant maintenance. The companionship training taught him rigor, a commitment to fine work as well as a taste for innovation, construction and imagination. He was later imprisoned in Dillingen for four years during the First World War.
(Top): Entrance to Pyla-sur-Mer after the Moulleau. (Bottom): Louis Gaume as a prisoner in Germany during WWI, working on a rooftop renovation.
Originally from Franchesse, a small town in the Allier region, no-one could have foreseen Louis Gaume’s future. He couldn’t have been further from the sea, and the first profession he practiced was that of zinc roofer. For his apprenticeship, he travelled to Switzerland and Germany. The training in itself was hard, but so were the environment (cold and snow) and the unceasing conflicts. Louis Gaume was profoundly fond of the Tronçais forest in the Allier region, which likely explains why he imported oak to build houses in the Arcachon Bay. He arrived in Arcachon in 1912 as a Tour de France companion at the age of 23. He was hired by a carpenter, Cazobon, and was quick to feel at home working alongside residents whose villas needed constant maintenance. The companionship training taught him rigor, a commitment to fine work as well as a taste for innovation, construction and imagination. He was later imprisoned in Dillingen for four years during the First World War.
(Top): Entrance to Pyla-sur-Mer after the Moulleau. (Bottom): Louis Gaume as a prisoner in Germany during WWI, working on a rooftop renovation.
In 1918, with the Great War over, Louis Gaume came back to Arcachon. He was ambitious and wanted to launch his own business. He has a network of suppliers from Paris and deemed himself ready to create his own general construction company.
He met Daniel Meller, the owner of 115 hectares of forest spreading from the Dune of Pilat, and with him created his first company, Pyla-sur-Mer, in 1916.
This is how the Gaume company was born in 1922. Louis Gaume was a forward-thinker when it came to marketing, and he was bright enough to understand that a seaside resort could not exist without hotels.
Our first headquarters – including our accounting and feasibility study offices – were based rue de Lamartine, at the heart of the Arcachon city centre. The workshops were based on avenue des Fougères, in the Pilat area. There were up to 250 workshops. The company managed to gather all professions and thus built the Banque de France, a sturdy building in the neo-basque style, which came into being on July 6, 1925. Its huge hall, safe deposit vault and massive roof are a good representation of the economic power that the Banque de France had at the time.
(Top): Former workshops for workers Avenue des Fougères at Pilat. (Bottom): Portrait of Louis Gaume…
In 1918, with the Great War over, Louis Gaume came back to Arcachon. He was ambitious and wanted to launch his own business. He had a network of suppliers from Paris and deemed himself ready to create his own general construction company.
He met Daniel Meller, the owner of 115 hectares of state-owned forest spreading from the Pilat Dune, and with him created his first company, Pyla-sur-Mer, in 1916.
This is how the Gaume company was born in 1922. Louis Gaume was a forward-thinker when it came to marketing, and he was bright enough to understand that a seaside resort could not exist without hotels.
Our first headquarters – including our accounting and feasibility study offices – were based on rue de Lamartine, at the heart of the Arcachon city centre. The workshops were based on avenue des Fougères, in the Pyla area. Eventually, the number of workshops went up to 250. The company was successful in gathering all professions and thus built the Banque de France, a sturdy building in the neo-basque style, which came into being on July 6, 1925. Its tremendous hall, safe deposit vault and enormous roof are a good representation of the economic power that the Banque de France had at the time.
(Top): Former workshops on Avenue des Fougères in the Pyla region. (Bottom): Portrait of Louis Gaume…
Together, they aimed to make Arcachon a holiday resort following the Biarritz model, with the concept of “a villa under the pines”. Louis Gaume bought various plots of land: first one, then two and up to a hundred. Little by little, he resold his plots of land after having built tailor-made villas on them, always respecting nature and adopting a neo-basque style. In 1924, Louis Gaume built Téthys, a sea-facing villa in the Moulleau neighbourhood, and the Don Cupi villa in Pyla was built for the Rothschild family with its neo-basque main building and stables.
The building is ultra-standardised: the town’s urbanism by-law prohibits cutting the pine trees that scatter the plots and imposes tree planting on the land in case of felling for the construction of a pond. Respect for trees is absolute, it is a sacrilege and the buildings must blend perfectly into the landscape. The gardens are structured around maritime pines, symbols of the bay, which sway with the ocean breeze.
Our concept goes further than a traditional company. Indeed, we are in charge of all the work on the collective networks, roads and urban developments and the villas are built according to our vision for the neighbourhood. The company is also involved in sport competitions: construction of tennis courts, rowing and sailing competitions and the development of the Arcachon Golf in conjunction with Pierre Hirigoyen, the Blandford architect and Tessa Blanchy.
To attract holidaymakers, he had to build hotels, and to finance them, he had to find funds. The Rothschild, Vuitton, Depuis, Faramond, Lanvin, Michelin, Mendès, Cazes families were precious investors and clients and had their villas built by Gaume. The area, entirely devoted to tourism, is quickly filled with beach shops, a hairdressers, a tea room, a garage and five hotels, including one reserved for maids and children..
Between 1926 and 1932, the company built six high-end hotels including La Corniche, Haïtza, Etche Ona, Eskualduna…The businesseses were managed by Gaume, including Haïtza and La Corniche.
The Pyla and the Gaume Company took off.
Between 1926 and 1932, the company built six high-end hotels including La Corniche, Haïtza, Etche Ona, Eskualduna…The businesseses were managed by Gaume, including Haïtza and La Corniche.
The Pyla and the Gaume Company took off.
1930, construction of the Co(o)rniche
The Corniche was built in 1930 in the same neo-basque style as its neighbourhood, at the end of the Louis Gaume avenue and has about ten rooms on the ground floor. With its renovation in 2010 in collaboration with Philippe Starck, La Corniche became La Co(o)rniche. Today managed by William Téchoueyres, it remains the property of the Gaume Group. The hotel leans against the dune and offers a unique view over the Banc d’Arguin and the top of the Cap-Ferret. It is here that “business” was concluded at the time..
(Pictures) : La Corniche after its construction.
1930, construction of the Co(o)rniche
The Corniche was built in 1930 in the same neo-basque style as its neighbourhood, at the end of the Louis Gaume avenue and has about ten rooms on the ground floor. With its renovation in 2010 in collaboration with Philippe Starck, La Corniche became La Co(o)rniche. Today managed by William Téchoueyres, it remains the property of the Gaume Group. The hotel leans against the dune and offers a unique view over the Banc d’Arguin and the top of the Cap-Ferret. It is here that “business” was concluded at the time.
(Pictures) : La Corniche after its construction.
Ha(a)ïtza, Ttiki Etchea and Eskualduna
The Haïtza Hotel was built in 1930 from sand-lime bricks produced in the Gaume factory in Parentis-en-Born. With a current total of 36 rooms, it quickly became a flagship establishment in the neighbourhood with its pre-war style and its location in acalm forest near the sea… Everything is done with the client’s entertainment in mind: bar, dancing, open-air film projections, tennis. The Ha(a)ïtza café, owned by the Gaume Group and also dating from 1930, was renovated in 2015 in collaboration with Philippe Starck.
The Ttiki Etchea Hotel, opposite the Haïtza Hotel and close to the beach, was smaller and initially designed to accommodate the staff. Eskualduna, a low-cost hotel, was for servants and drivers. Two other hotels were built: Oyana and Bellevue in Piquey for long stays.
(Pictures) : Haïtza after its construction.
Ha(a)ïtza, Ttiki Etchea and Eskualduna
The Haïtza Hotel was built in 1930 from sand-lime bricks produced in the Gaume factory in Parentis-en-Born. With a current total of 36 rooms, it quickly became a flagship establishment in the neighbourhood with its pre-war style and its location in acalm forest near the sea… Everything is done with the client’s entertainment in mind: bar, dancing, open-air film projections, tennis. The Ha(a)ïtza café, owned by the Gaume Group and also dating from 1930, was renovated in 2015 in collaboration with Philippe Starck.
The Ttiki Etchea Hotel, opposite the Haïtza Hotel and close to the beach, was smaller and initially designed to accommodate the staff. Eskualduna, a low-cost hotel, was for servants and drivers. Two other hotels were built: Oyana and Bellevue in Piquey for long stays.
(Pictures) : Haïtza after its construction.
Little by little, the company established itself as an exclusive high-end constructor providing architectural uniformity to the seaside resort. In this way, the Pyla Dune was preserved from the pavilion builders.
This is how the Pilat-plage (‘Pilat-beach’) neighborhood was born, the foundations of which have resisted real estate pressure and the architectural fashions of the 20th century.
Louis Gaume died in 1962 and Jacques Gaume, his son, took over the real estate business.
He would go on to develop the Ermitage neighbourhood with a twist: the neo-Landes style. He violently opposed the government’s plan to develop the coast.
Little by little, the company established itself as an exclusive high-end constructor providing architectural uniformity to the seaside resort. In this way, the Pyla Dune was preserved from the pavilion builders.
This is how the Pilat-plage (‘Pilat-beach’) neighborhood was born, the foundations of which have resisted real estate pressure and the architectural fashions of the 20th century.
Louis Gaume died in 1962 and Jacques Gaume, his son, took over the real estate business.
He would go on to develop the Ermitage neighbourhood with a twist: the neo-Landes style. He violently opposed the government’s plan to develop the coast.
”Without him, the Pyla would have looked like La Grande-Motte [...] The Pyla is not the French Riviera: no villas with steep walls clinging to the rocks, no violent colours on a Prussian blue sky. The Gaume neo-Basque villa, and especially its discreteness, reflects the need for isolation that characterises Arcachon and the neighboring areas.
Denis Blanchard-DignacLouis Gaume, Exceptional entrepreneur
Over the years, the company looked beyond the Pyla. It crossed the Bay. At Cap-Ferret, in the locality known as Le Piquey, about fifty houses were built: two “pinasse” boats made the crossing, one for the staff, the other for the materials. Nowadays, going from one side of the bay to the other can be done using a road and street that goes from Le Piquey to the Louis-Gaume pier. Many houses were also built in Lanton, Gujan, La Teste or Arcachon.
Our architectural style, formerly exclusively of Basque inspiration, is sober but recognisable by all. The gentle sloping roofs are covered with traditional round tiles and the exterior walls are white, decorated with wooden frames with touches of colour that blend in with the landscapes of the bay. Nobuilding surpasses the treetops.
From the two-bedroom houses built mainly in the 1950s to the magnificent contemporary villas of over 300 square meters, our villas are tailor-made and personalised at your convenience. The most beautiful ones are located in the Pyla, at the forefront with a unique view of the top of the Cap Ferret, the Ile aux Oiseaux or the Banc d’Arguin. In less than a century, the company built thousands of villas all around the bay.
Bibliography
Internal archives – Louis Gaume company
Louis Gaume, Exceptional entrepreneur – Denis Blanchard-Dignac – Editions Loubatières (2006)
Il était une fois…Pyla : https://www.latestedebuch.fr/les-articles-du-mag/pyla/
