Project Description
FROM THE ARCHITECTS:
The building is located in
the upper part of the town. It backs onto the woods, forming the final outlying
limit of the built-up area. Echoing the open landscape, it faces to Belfort
Lion on the hilltop opposite. In this strong context, the building offers its
solidity, an almost opaque mass of grey concrete. The surface of the mass has
an unusual texture, hinting at plants or the veins in marble. It has been
achieved by drip painting in two shades of blue. The drips of paint lend depth
and thickness to the skin of the building. The surfaces vibrate in the light,
apparently in motion – matter ceases to be static.
The concrete monolith exudes
an enigmatic presence. Only the volume of the dance room seems to be looking at
the Lion, constructed in 1879 as a symbol of resistance to the enemy. The
building condenses a programme with very varied volumes. The building contains
two auditoriums, a theatre, a large dance room, a library, classrooms,
administrative offices, and a host of studios with very varied volumes and
areas. The acoustic of each studio is designed to suit one specific instrument.
The areas appear to fit into each other. Empty areas are hollowed out of this
compact mass, creating relationships between the different levels. The entrance
hall is on an unexpected scale. The library seems to be suspended, marking out
the cross-section and serving as a giant deflector. The central patio is the
darkest area. Its colour and its negative drip design reverse the codes of the
outer envelope. It is the ultimate expression of density.