Franklin Azzi Architecture . photos: © Luc Boegly . + dezeen
Located in the heart of the new Creation district (quartier de la Création), the 26,000 square metro (280,000 square feet) of the old Alstom warehouses have been restructured and converted into a multipurpose building comprising: the Nantes Higher School of Fine Arts (ESBANM), the Nantes University, an office property complex, artists’ workshops and a catering facility.
The choice to open the space by breaking down the walls, sheds the light into the future Nantes Higher School of Fine Arts and also enables to deploy the programmes. The impressive metal frame remaining pays homage to Nantes’ industrial heritage. The ‘Russian dolls system’ organised around a main central street ensures adaptability and long-term viability of its uses.
This design solution not only fosters an economy of means, but also turns out to be freeing up spaces that will be, without a doubt, facilitating flexible and creative use of space for the students and the neighbourhood’s life.
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