SO – IL and FREAKS, First Prize to Redesign France’s Site Verrier
24/02/2015.
Competition [Meisenthal] France
metalocus, INÉS LALUETA
metalocus, INÉS LALUETA
SO-IL, in collaboration with FREAKS freearchitects, have won a competition to redesign the historic Site Verrier’s glass factory, in France. Located in the Northern Vosges Natural Park, the new proposal addresses three elements of the site’s industrial past, while providing a dynamic cultural space with a glass museum, workshop and gallery on the site of this 18th-century glass factory in north-east France.
Overview Meisenthal. New Site Verrier by SO – IL and FREAKS. Image courtesy of SO-IL.
Vistor center. New Site Verrier by SO – IL and FREAKS.
Public central space. New Site Verrier by SO – IL and FREAKS. Image courtesy of SO-IL.
Inside vision, Gallery. New Site Verrier by SO – IL and FREAKS. Image courtesy of SO-IL.
Ground floor plan. New Site Verrier by SO – IL and FREAKS. Image courtesy of SO-IL.
First floor plan. New Site Verrier by SO – IL and FREAKS. Image courtesy of SO-IL.
Section. New Site Verrier by SO – IL and FREAKS. Image courtesy of SO-IL.
Section. New Site Verrier by SO – IL and FREAKS. Image courtesy of SO-IL.
Section. New Site Verrier by SO – IL and FREAKS. Image courtesy of SO-IL.
Section. New Site Verrier by SO – IL and FREAKS. Image courtesy of SO-IL.
Model. New Site Verrier by SO – IL and FREAKS. Image courtesy of SO-IL.
Model. New Site Verrier by SO – IL and FREAKS. Image courtesy of SO-IL.
Model. New Site Section. Verrier by SO – IL and FREAKS. Image courtesy of SO-IL.
The Site Verrier factory, which produced utility glassware as well as hand-blown Christmas tree baubles, closed its doors in 1969. It reopened as the Meisenthal Glass Museum in 1978, while a former workshop on the site was converted into the International Glass Art Centre (CIAV) in 1992 – used for displaying contemporary and traditional glass designs.
The new design by SO-IL and Freaks Architects maintains three distinct areas; a glass museum which memorializes the area’s past function, the CIAV which houses an art centre for both traditional and contemporary applications of glass works, and the Cadhame which presents a space for art installations and public gatherings.
The new design gives new life to this historic industrial site and seeks to connect these now separate identities with a new central public space for free interaction.
Description of the project by SO-IL
Hidden in the magical Northern Vosges Natural Park, the Site Verrier de Meisenthal is an active cultural centre situated on the premises of a former glass factory. The site is organized around three entities:
A glass museum - a living memory tracing the history of glass at the site; the CIAV - an international glass art centre where traditional craftsmanship meets contemporary practices; and the Cadhame - a multidisciplinary cultural space hosting art installations, happenings and concerts.
The design gives new life to this historic industrial site. A pliable concrete “tapestry” clarifies the complex topography and establishes new links between the various activities while creating a central plaza for the site and the village of Meisenthal. This new public space reestablishes the prominence of the historical site but also introduces a highly flexible space to host a variety of events such as performances, outdoor theatre, festivals and a Christmas market.
By unifying the landscape, the design reveals and amplifies the unique qualities of each existing structure. New functions are introduced under and over the “tapestry”, such as a reconfigurable 500 seat black box theatre, art storage, new office facilities, workshop areas, classrooms, a cafe and a restaurant. The architectural intervention fosters a dialogue with the historic character of the place while defining a new and contemporary identity for the institution.
More information
Design team
Florian Idenburg, Jing Liu, Ilias Papageorgiou, Lucie Rebeyrol, Seunghyun Kang, Antoine Vacheron, Pietro Pagliaro, Max Hart Nibbrig, Danny Duong.
Collaborators
Structural engineer.- MHI.
Scenography.- dUCKS scenography.
Cost estimator.- MDETC.
Acoustic.- PEUTZ.
Scenography.- dUCKS scenography.
Cost estimator.- MDETC.
Acoustic.- PEUTZ.
Area
53,800 sqf / 5,000 sqm.
Client
Communauté de communes du Pays de Bitche.
Dates
2015-2022 (expected in phases).
Program
500 seat black box theater, art storage, office facilities, workshop areas, classrooms, cafe, restaurant, exhibiton.
Florian Idenburg, Jing Liu. SO-IL
Solid Objectives – Idenburg Liu (SO – IL) is an idea-driven design office founded by Florian Idenburg and Jing Liu in 2008, and is currently led together by Ilias Papageorgiou. With a global reach, it brings together extensive experience from the fields of architecture, academia and the arts. The firm has extensive recognition and prizes, including the Emerging Voices award from the Architectural League, the MoMA PS1 Young Architects Program Award, and the AIA Young Architects Award. The office has received praise for many of its works including the design of the Frieze Art Fair New York, and for their largest building to date, the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art at the University of California at Davis.
Partners.
Florian Idenburg, principal. Florian Idenburg (1975, the Netherlands) holds an MSc. in Architecture from Delft University of Technology. Prior to founding SO–IL, Idenburg gained eight years of experience at the practice of Pritzker laureates Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA. Idenburg is a recognized voice in academia and has held teaching positions at Harvard, Columbia, Princeton and the University of Kentucky.
Jing Liu, M Arch, principal. A native of China, Jing Liu received her education in China, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, concluding with a Master of Architecture from Tulane School of Architecture in New Orleans. Liu has been a faculty member at The Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University since 2009, and advises the Master’s thesis at Parsons The New School of Design. In addition to her professional and academic pursuits, Liu serves on the board of the Van Alen Institute.
Ilias Papageorgiou, partner. He was born in Athens, Greece. He holds a Diploma in Architecture from Aristotle University in Greece, and a Master's in Architecture from Harvard University. Papageorgiou has been with SO–IL since its inception in 2008 and has played a key role in the firm’s recognition and success. He became a partner in 2013. Besides practising, Papageorgiou is a frequent lecturer and visiting critic at various universities and has taught design studios at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation.
Team.
Sooran Kim, associate, joined SO–IL in 2011 and relocated to Seoul to oversee the construction of the Kukje project. Sooran holds a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard University.
Ted Baab, associate, joined SO–IL in 2011. Ted holds a Master of Architecture from Harvard University.
> 2013.
Yves Pasquet, Cyril Gauthier, Guillaume Aubry. FREAKS
FREAKS, freearchitects, is a Paris-based architecture firm led by three architects (Yves Pasquet, Cyril Gauthier, and Guillaume Aubry) favouring prospection, research and experimentation through projects and building process practices from small scale art installations to large scale architecture competitions. FREAKS freearchitects has been awarded the AJAP price from the French Ministry of Culture and Communication in 2010 and the 40under40 European price in 2016. Although nowadays their built projects are mostly located in France, FREAKS's partners have lived and experienced a wide range of abroad working contexts such as San Francisco, Tokyo, Beijing, Berlin, Mumbai, Singapore, and Istanbul.
Those sometimes chaotic urban surroundings drove them to integrate into their practice a rich and confident vocabulary of urban scenarios and architectural aesthetics.
The office is deeply involved in reacting toward the image of architecture/architect and their representations in a cynical and playful way. Less is more, more is more, less is not enough.
Yves Pasquet (1977) graduated in 2007 from ENSAPLV-Paris and studied at ENSA-Rennes, University of Tokyo and ENSAPLV-Paris. He worked at Sauerbruch-Hutton in Berlin, at Groupe 6, in Paris and at Log Architectes in Paris. He founded FREAKS freearchitects in 2007 and taught at ENSAP-Versailles.
Cyril Gauthier (1978) graduated in 2006 from ENSAPLV-Paris, studied at ENSA-Montpellier, CCA in San Francisco, TU in Berlin and ENSAPLV-Paris. He worked at Atela Architectes in Paris and at Atelier Seraji Architectes & Associés in Paris. He founded FREAKS freearchitects in 2007 and teached at ENSA-Lyon and ENSA-Marseille.
Guillaume Aubry (1982) graduated in 2007 from ENSAPLV-Paris and studied at ENSA-Lille, University of Tokyo, ENSAPLV-Paris, la Seine art post-diploma ENSBA-Paris, IHEAP post-diploma Paris. He worked at Tiantian Xu DNA in Beijing and uapS Anne Mie Depuydt & Erik Van Daele in Paris. He founded FREAKS freearchitects in 2007 and teaches at EBA-StBrieuc.
Those sometimes chaotic urban surroundings drove them to integrate into their practice a rich and confident vocabulary of urban scenarios and architectural aesthetics.
The office is deeply involved in reacting toward the image of architecture/architect and their representations in a cynical and playful way. Less is more, more is more, less is not enough.
Yves Pasquet (1977) graduated in 2007 from ENSAPLV-Paris and studied at ENSA-Rennes, University of Tokyo and ENSAPLV-Paris. He worked at Sauerbruch-Hutton in Berlin, at Groupe 6, in Paris and at Log Architectes in Paris. He founded FREAKS freearchitects in 2007 and taught at ENSAP-Versailles.
Cyril Gauthier (1978) graduated in 2006 from ENSAPLV-Paris, studied at ENSA-Montpellier, CCA in San Francisco, TU in Berlin and ENSAPLV-Paris. He worked at Atela Architectes in Paris and at Atelier Seraji Architectes & Associés in Paris. He founded FREAKS freearchitects in 2007 and teached at ENSA-Lyon and ENSA-Marseille.
Guillaume Aubry (1982) graduated in 2007 from ENSAPLV-Paris and studied at ENSA-Lille, University of Tokyo, ENSAPLV-Paris, la Seine art post-diploma ENSBA-Paris, IHEAP post-diploma Paris. He worked at Tiantian Xu DNA in Beijing and uapS Anne Mie Depuydt & Erik Van Daele in Paris. He founded FREAKS freearchitects in 2007 and teaches at EBA-StBrieuc.
