This new cultural centre intends to enhance the as yet unrenovated part of the old town of Grasse takes. It takes the name of the photographer who was one of the inventors of the heliogravure process. This modern building, whose activity is image-focused, sets its white concrete silhouette, punctuated by vaults and alternating columns, amid the Provençal-coloured façades. Ascents and descents spread over the interior, inspired by the narrow streets. The Media Library, as a light permeable space, at the same time keeps it cool. The reading areas receive subdued light during the day, and in the evening, the building mass illuminates the public space like a lantern above a mirror of water.
The jury’s opinion: This project takes shape embedded in the urban fabric. It opens up a rich dialogue by dint of big glass openings and thin columns like a whale’s baleen, although people might see it as an antithesis. Everything in the no-frills interior ensures that the building remains pure and sculptural.
Maîtrise d’ouvrage : Ville de Grasse
Architectes : Ivry Serres, Emmanuelle Beaudouin, Laurent Beaudouin
Surface SHON : 3 663 m2
Montant des travaux : 13 600 000 €
Livraison : 2022