It is one of the oldest monuments in Brest (Finistère). Spared by the bombardments of the Second World War which had ravaged the city of Ponant, the old prison of Pontaniou is a vestige that its inhabitants intend to preserve. Friday, the metropolis of Brest announced the launch of a call for projects to rehabilitate this emblematic building of the city, which had remained unused for more than thirty years. What for ? According to the local press, the building should be transformed into a place of culture and tourism.
Located a stone’s throw from the Ateliers des Capucins, a former arsenal transformed into a vast place bringing together crafts, gastronomy, shops, cinema and library, the former prison of Pontaniou was bought in 1997 by the metropolis. Built between 1805 and 1810, the building was used until March 1990. At that time, 180 prisoners were still assigned there. Six or eight of them were crammed into cells with dripping walls, lit by artificial light all day and ventilated by a narrow skylight.
The winner known at the end of 2023
In 2018, a project to convert Pontaniou prison into high-end apartments sparked an outcry from historians highlighting the site’s heritage interest. The project was eventually abandoned. The call for projects launched by the metropolis must make it possible to “reveal the pre-existing city from a project which undertakes to rehabilitate, preserve and enhance Brest’s remarkable heritage in the heart of the city”. The winner should be known at the end of the year.