The history of architecture and urbanism, Royan is unquestionably "the most 1950's town in France". It reflects the style of the talented architect of the reconstruction, Claude Ferret, who worked on the rebuilding of the town along with 150 other architects. Royan was the only town in France where the application of the main urban and architectural principles of the "Modern Movement" were tested. Claude Ferret, pupil of Corbusier, opened the new town to a cocktail of air-light-sunshine, the major precepts of the famous Athens Charter. The wide sea front follows the natural crescent moon shape of the main beach, the avenue is of light design, a shaded boulevard leads to a covered market made of thin concrete in the shape of an anemone corolla.

The extraordinary profile of Notre Dame de Royan resembles a small boat with high sides whose bow is the chevet. The church is the work of Guillaume Gillet and the engineer René Sarger. It rises to a height of 36 m at the highest point and 28 m in the centre. The proud belfry pierces the sky and the spire of the tower reaches 60 m above the ground.