Located in the town of Nevers, the new Cultural Centre is a public facility in the middle of a restructured district, which will host local organizations.
The location of the building will preconfigure the organization of the public space, surrounded by the Avenue Lyauteyto the north, renovated housing to the west and the south and new housing to the east.
“The strategic position of the cultural centre and the program led us to design a compact and generous project, as an extension of the public space enhancing the identity and image of the neighbourhood.”
The architects conceived the bleachers at the front of the building as a tiered public square that can be used for events, games, or simply as a picnicking spot for local residents, “like an agora overlooking the neighbourhood,” they explain, referencing the ancient Greek name for an assembly place.
The main elements of the program are organized on two levels, around a federative patio bringing light and cohesion in the heart of the project: a multipurpose room of 220 seats, a dance hall, working and meeting rooms and an educational childcare structure.
Visitors to the building enter through a double-height atrium, which leads through to a 220-seat auditorium on the ground floor. Other facilites on this floor include a creche and a series of event rooms, while a dance hall and meeting rooms occupy the first floor.
Glazed walls surround the central courtyard on two sides to bring natural light into the ground floor corridors, while a private first-floor balcony overlooks the space from above.
Behind the timber cladding, the building has walls of concrete is covered by a wooden autoclaved cladding, intended to “create a friendly environment” in a tough environment.
Location: Nevers, France Architects: Ateliers O-S architectes Design Team: Vincent Baur, Guillaume Colboc, Gaël Le Nouëne, Aurélie Louesdon, Kit Chung Area: 1,613 sqm Year: 2012