Alb'Oru is a cultural centre completed recently in Bastia, Corsica containing a mediateque, rehearsal rooms and performance halls designed by DDA Devaux & Devaux architectes.
David and Claudia Devaux of strong>DDA Devaux & Devaux architectes designed Alb'Oru Cultural Centre, a mediateque containing practice rooms and performance halls, under the ANRU programme for renewal of the southern part of the town of Bastia in Corsica.
The architects interpret the cultural centre as a big park open onto the city, preserving and adding to the trees present on the site (pine and eucalyptus) and choosing materials for the outer walls which are not seen as elements closing off the structure but as filters between inside and outside.
The only exception is the ground floor: a monolithic exposed concrete volume in earth colours. The block contains the performance hall, with annexed technical and service areas, the administrative offices, the public entrance and the bar. This strong root is the base of a light, airy construction rising to form the mediateque and library on the upper levels. In contrast with its monolithic base, the upper volume appears to be suspended between the trees, luminous, offering glimpses of open spaces which may be set up in different ways and panoramic views of the city and the Mediterranean Sea.
(Agnese Bifulco)
Design: DDA devaux & devaux Architectes
Project head: Jacques Ameil DDA
Associated architects: Atel’architecture, Pierre-Jean Monti
Images courtesy of DDA, photo by Julien Cailly Banzaiprod, J. Bracco & C. Septet.
http://dda-architectes.com/
