Renovation Glacis Gymnasium
The programme for the restructuring, extension, and renovation of this 1970s gymnasium at Villefranche-sur-Mer was as follows:
- Make all levels of the building accessible to persons with reduced mobility
- Create an association hall
- Improve thermal comfort and energy performance
- Carry out a complete renovation bringing le building up to currents standards.
Our architectural objective was, while giving this equipment an irreproachable functionality both spatially and technically, to show itself at the height of this majestic site of the Citadelle of Villefranche-sur-Mer, without distorting it, without being detached by an excessive presence. The design of this project advocates the erasure of the built-up mass that constitutes this gymnasium in relation to the magic of the place.
The choice of façade and roof colours allowed this insertion into the distant view.
The design of the new vertical circulation system, which links all the levels from the street for all users, continues this approach. It backs onto the existing trees and is clad in a tangle of beams that render the image of the trees so that it blends in with them.
In addition, the building has been sculpted and carved out so that visitors can enjoy a spectacular view of the harbour from the inside, providing them with a breathtaking architectural and landscaping walk.
Finally, the outdoor spaces have been remodelled to ensure the seam with the site and develop the uses, the roof has become a grandiose multipurpose space, the intermediate terrace linked to the hall of associations the support of festive meetings and the path along the west façade the garden of the project.
