The Alpex Cultural Centre project restores a historic building in Scionzier and uses locally sourced stone for an eye-catching extension
Geneva-based Atelier Archiplein has completed the renovation and extension of a former factory in the French Alps, turning it into a new cultural centre for the picturesque town of Scionzier and the wider Rhône-Alpes region. The project is part of a broader masterplan to renovate and revitalise Scionzier’s town centre.
Although the factory building – built in 1913 – was originally used for machining and had been left in a state of disrepair, its historic and surprisingly decorative architecture was championed in the project, with Atelier Archiplein undertaking an extensive ‘heritage diagnosis’ to return it to its former glory, including the restoration of an original vibrant colour palette for decorative tiling and window frames.
To the repaired and renovated building, Atelier Archiplein added a single-storey, wraparound stone extension. A colonnade defines the extension’s north-facing facade which creates both a sheltered entry porch as well as an eye-catching elevation in which mirrored glass is inserted between the pillars. The Hauteville stone used for the extension was sourced from a site located less than 100km away, reflecting the practice’s interest in using natural, locally procured materials where possible.
Inside the project, now named Alpex Cultural Centre, the architecture has been adapted to host two large, flexible exhibition rooms. The building’s gabled roof with original wooden beams is left exposed and complemented by new ceiling cladding of timber slats. The new extension, meanwhile, houses a temporary exhibition room.
Photography by Aurélien Poulat courtesy of v2com newswire
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