This villa was bought unfinished in 1896 by Antoine Lumière, a painter and photographer from Lyon, who invented the instant photographic plates that made his fortune. His sons, Louis and Auguste, are the inventors of cinema. Antoine Lumière modified the villa's plans and fitted out to his taste. Neo-Classical outside and eclectic inside, the building emanates an impression of opulence. The monumental oak entrance door is decorated with bronze bas-reliefs representing painting and sculpture. It is framed by two atlantes, replicas of Pierre Puget (17th century), supporting a pediment decorated with a sun, an allusion to the family's patronymic. The lake-side door is topped with a bronze copy of Michelangelo's The Thinker. The Villa Lumière is listed as a historical monument and has been Evian's City Hall since 1927.
On business days, the vestibule and the Golden Lounge are open to the public during office hours.