This project, located in the city of Porto-Vecchio on the island of Corsica in France, follows an in-depth reflection on the site and the urban context. In fact, the proposed site, near the Roman road, was occupied by not only a number of beautiful oak and olive trees, but also some magnificent rocks. This made it a wonderful site, placing additional responsibility on the architect and which was treated with great care. The principle of the project consists of preserving the landscape. A precise survey was drawn up of every tree and every rock. The shape of the building is deduced from these characteristic elements, which we were anxious to preserve. The building appears to float above the landscape, with as little impact on it as possible. In accordance with this avoidance strategy, its curves are designed to circumvent the trees and rocks. The drawing of the plan then becomes extremely dynamic. The building functions as the opposite of a presentation box, embracing the landscape the better to protect it. The new media library becomes the major element of the site without replacing it. A very gentle ramp makes its way through trees and rocks. It leads users towards their special garden, thought out as a place for reading in the open air and relaxing, while a summer bar slips into the space beneath the building to provide a shaded terrace. The underside of the building is designed as an area in its own right - a space facing the garden. The large windows reveal the heart of the building. These transparencies are a real invitation. In the interior, the main feature is the fluidity of the space. There is abundant natural light, and the bays offer a choice of panoramic views. The views to the outside are very generous, the presence of plants is constant. The preserved trees guarantee peaceful views and thermal comfort. The plan installs a hierarchy between the different universes. This device gives the feeling of being able to wander freely in a giant sculpture bathed in natural light. It is the elements of the site that produce the plasticity of this project, echoing the landscape by revealing its beauty. It aims to bring users together in a generous and magical place. Architecture becomes a place of sharing and exchange. The city-scale building clearly asserts its status as a public building. It is a real spatial and temporal filter of the diffusion of culture through time.
Located in the heart of Strasbourg, Dominique Coulon & Associés is a firm of architects of national and international renown.
For more than 25 years, the agency has earned a reputation for the quality of the public facilities it designs. It has worked on a wide and varied range of programmes, including a media library, music school, auditorium, school complex, swimming pool, sports facilities, a residential home for the dependent elderly, and housing. The agency has received many awards and distinctions.
Dominique Coulon and his associate Steve Lethos Duclos allow their intuition to lead the way as they seek to develop contextual projects that combine contrast and complexity, where the outer envelope hints at inner richness. Spatial quality and natural light are fundamental elements in every project: space is always controlled by precise geometry.