©Nohcab Calais Architecture Discovery Walk
A stroll through the center of Calais reveals the city's great architectural variety. The Saint Pierre district bears witness to the lacemaking era, but also to the emergence of Art Deco. This part of Calais also bears the mark of architect Roger Poyé. Closer to the sea and Calais LA plage, two different styles of post-war reconstruction are evident, to the point that buildings bear the Remarkable Contemporary Architecture LabelA City of Art and History, Calais displays a subtle blend of architectural influences reflecting its rich history.
©Nohcab 
©Nohcab Walk in the Calais of lace
The Saint-Pierre district is the historic heart of Calais lace. A stroll along its wide avenues and adjacent streets allows you to discover the rich architectural heritage of the 19th century.
Strolling through this district means discovering a vast collection of buildings with their charms, sometimes discreet, sometimes imposing. Thus, at the intersections (always at right angles!), you can walk past old lace workshops and modest workers' houses, all close to a sumptuous facade of a bourgeois residence. The lace industry has completely transformed this part of Calais, demographically, socially and therefore its architecture.
Le Calais Theatre and the remarkable facades of Place Albert 1er are at the center of the shopping boulevards. Nearby, Place Crévecoeur and its three major buildings have as much symbolic as architectural interest. This place was the center of Saint Pierre during the great era of lace in the second half of the 2th century. Place Crèvecœur hosts a market on Thursday and Saturday mornings.
©Nohcab Art Deco architecture infuses Calais
Art Deco is a major artistic movement of the 1920s and 1930s. It was practiced in several fields including architecture. This is the case in Calais, on the city hall side and in the Saint-Pierre district. Moreover, Calais XXL participates in the "Printemps de l'Art déco" every year in April and May. Many events and guided tours are scheduled in around twenty towns in Hauts de France. The region is also one of the centers of Art Deco in terms of architecture. It inspired architects during the reconstruction after the First World War.
©Nohcab Calais Town Hall
One of the most beautiful in France
Construction began before the First World War and was completed in 1925. This timeline implies the presence of Art Deco elements! The building is imposing, but you have to go inside to discover these architectural details.
Art Deco particularly favors geometric aesthetics, stylized patterns, and uses glass, reinforced concrete, and metal. Calais Town Hall is a perfect example of this!
Discover the City Hall
In the footsteps of architect Roger Poyé in Calais
The Saint Pierre district and its proximity is the ideal place for an architectural walk. This part of Calais is full of a variety of buildings by Roger Poyé. A trail (available at the tourist office) allows you to discover the works of this influential architect in Calais at the beginning of the 20th century. The variety of constructions is the order of the day at Roger Poyé. During this stroll, you will discover religious buildings and public buildings such as the P'tit Quinquin school, the maternity hospital and the labor exchange. For individuals, he built collective housing as well as houses. Roger Poyé's architectural style is evident in the door frames, the glazed bricks and the use of mosaics and ironwork.
©Nohcab An unusual heritage to discover, the Reconstruction
The diversity of architecture is also visible on the side of the Citadel of Calais and the Place d'Armes. This district near Calais LA plage embodies the necessary period of Reconstruction. Close to the port, 70% of the homes had been destroyed during the Second World War. Each in their own style, the architects George Labro and Clément Tambuté shaped the contemporary face of the old medieval Calais. In places, the regionalism of red brick and the groups of buildings with flat roofs and their vaults meet.
©Nohcab Contemporary buildings with a label
The post-war decades posed new architectural challenges amid a desire for modernization, urban renewal, and the use of new materials and techniques. Long maligned, the architecture of this era is now recognized by the Ministry of Culture. The Remarkable Contemporary Architecture label recognizes significant buildings of 20th- and 21st-century architecture. As for the Citadel and the Place d'Armes in Calais, Beaux-arts museum (1965) and Emile Ranson Swimming Pool (1963) were distinguished in 2025.
©nohcab 
©City of Calais