Cultural Center, Media Library, Music and Dance School
SITE & PROGRAM
In 2010, the town of Saint Germain lès Arpajon wants to acquire new equipment comprising a media library and a school of music and dance. This cultural center will replace the current school of music & dance and the current public library which are located in a small and malfunctioning existing building.
The site chosen by the city is a long and narrow strap plot which fits in a larger scale between Chanteloup park overlooking the West and Orge Valley in low-cons in the East. The plot is steep and looks down to the valley. It’s framed by Rolland Garros High School on a side and by a cemetery on the other side.
URBAN PLANNING
The Project main access is located by Leuville road, at the top of the site.
A new path, created along the school to connect the main road to the path Chemin du Roy, distributes an eventual project of nursery which could take place at the bottom of the site.
The project is playing with the natural slope of the site (almost 3 different levels) by moving towards, like a straight line drawn in the landscape. Set back from the cemetery by a landscaped strip and from the school by the new road, the public building is holding onto the site via two compelling levels of the project: a mineral square on the top (Leuville Road), a vegetal square on the lower level (at the heart of the plot). Both squares are connected through the building by a public passage.
The project stands between a deliberately low high building towards the landscape and strong urban landmark.
In order to respect the cemetery, the new cultural is taking the best of the untypical topography to remain discreet.
ORGANISATION IN PLANS
The program is organized as a continuous loop, joining the top square to the bottom square. The structural programmatic entities of the cultural center are the library, the school of music & dance and a centralized lobby (including animation spaces, auditorium, expectations and exhibition spaces) from where the whole building and the administration are vertically distributed.
At the Leuville Road, the project is approaching the ground to emerge from it down below the slope. The equipment clearly appears from the road Leuville, thus affirming this main access with a mineral and generous square. The public entrance of the cultural center opens between the two branches of the equipment as a welcoming hand to guide you through the building.
The media library and the lobby are located at higher level. This is the heart of the project, this is where visitors find information.
The library is organized as a L-plan on a large open reading spaces structured by colored furniture. The library is widely opened towards the Orge Valley. On the lower level, the music & dance school, administrative offices and lecture studios are located on the north side, while the two main rooms offers generous views to enjoy the landscape of the valley. Technical premises and bicycles parking are provided at the lower public square.
SCHEDULE
Concours- janvier 2011
Livraison - décembre2014
BUDGET 5 934 000 € HT
SURFACE SHON : 2173 m2
CONSULTANT
OLM (Paysagiste) C&E (BET structure) MDETC (Economiste) ORFEA (acousticien) BEAU-VOIR (signalétique), CFERM.
