Atrium Casino 1.43

Atrium Casino is the name of the casino at Dax in the south-west of France. It is listed under the relevant legislation as an historical building.OriginsIn 1925 the local mayor, Eugène Milliès-Lacroix, proposed the construction of a casino in order to boost the appeal of the town's spa based tourist industry. The Paris architect André Granet, assisted by Roger-Henri Expert was mandated to implement the project. The sponsors and architects were keen that the new casino, built directly after the Salle Pleyel in Paris and shortly before the launch of the SS Normandie, should respect the still challenging Art Deco trends of the time.OpeningJuly 1928 saw the inauguration of first auditorium of this kind in the department when more the a thousand people attended a performance of Gounod's opera, Mireille. The building is constructed of reinforced concrete, and centred on an open-air amphitheatre, which is the basis for its name "Atrium". The bar is decorated with windows by Louis Barillet (1880 - 1948), then well known in France for his mastery of Stained glass.