who wants to save the Keller pavilion?

SURVEY – Constructed at the beginning of the 20th ^century by the industrialist Charles Keller, this emblematic building of the Romanche valley, which served as a backdrop to the purple rivers , the thriller of Mathieu Kassovitz, is now abandoned. To the great dismay of local elected officials who are struggling to re-enchant it.

Since the departmental road linking Vizille to the resorts of Oisans no longer meanders at the foot of its huge carcass of stones and reinforced concrete, not a week goes by without a motorist taking the time to take a detour through the village of Livet to photograph it. And yet, the facade of the Pavillon Keller and its two vertiginous overhangs on stilts overlooking the Romanche, the torrent symbol of the rich hydroelectric past of the valley, have long since lost their luster and embrace the rocky aspect of the steep surrounding slopes.

Broken windows, slate roof riddled with leaks, outdated electricity and pipes, damp-soaked walls, metal shutters ripped off by the wind and above all, the interior soiled by an abandoned construction site: for almost a decade now, the apartments of this 1,740 m² building, completed in 1930 under the leadership of the industrialist Charles Keller, no longer welcome a living soul. With the exception of an old lady and her dog, graciously accommodated to repel thrill-seekers who sometimes venture there at night.

In the early 2000s, the international success of Rivières pourpres , the thriller by Mathieu Kassovitz partly shot inside the pavilion, shone the spotlight of the 7th Art on the architectural singularity of this building classified as a departmental heritage. ”  Since then it has fallen into disrepair. It’s catastrophic. There are several million euros ,” sighs Gilles Strappazzon, the PS mayor of the neighboring town of Saint-Barthélémy-de-Séchilienne and departmental opposition councilor, after having drawn up the list of his damage and the gargantuan work that should be carried out to completely rehabilitate it.

“  The interior has been in considerable disrepair over the past three years. The wind rushes in constantly. It becomes urgent to do something. It’s a real mess , ”says Laurence Clément, the manager of the Romanche Museum, located in Livet-et-Gavet. Two months ago, some of the stained glass windows that adorned the balconies on the top floor were bought by the department of Isère and are being restored after being discovered for sale on the Web. “ The pillage began when the house was abandoned by the Keller family in the 1970s ,” laments Laurence Clément. ”  The people of the country came armed with tire irons to recover everything “.

In the hands of a legal representative since last November and the bankruptcy of its owner, the Keller pavilion is regularly the object of covetousness, boosted by its legend. But faced with the sums to be paid to renovate it, many candidates are throwing in the towel. In 2015, an ambitious project for a museum, leisure areas and panoramic restaurant was announced with great fanfare to the press, before finally collapsing in an incredible way after the sudden withdrawal – and without a trace – of its agents, suspected of fomenting a scam. Last October, Nicole Keller, the industrialist’s great-grandniece, traveled to Isère to visit the building with the intention of bringing it back into the family fold. She finally gave up, chilled by the amounts to be committed.

Since the fall, yet another takeover proposal made by an investor wishing to create a hotel complex for short stays and seminar rooms is ” under discussion “, specify local elected officials. ” We have hopes. Things seem to be settling  ,” hopes Gilbert Dupont, the unlabeled mayor of Livet-et-Gavet. ”  An offer, attractive on paper, was filed recently  ,” confirms François Gagliardi, one of the real estate experts responsible for finding a buyer . ”  But it has many suspensive clauses. This is tricky data because in judicial time, each day is counted to collect debts. The pavilion is worth between 50 and 100,000 euros today, provided that the buyer has the capacity to rehabilitate it  .