opus 5 architectes renovates brick music school in france

the paris office of opus 5 architectes presents the new élancourt music school in saintquentin en yvelines, france. the new élancourt music school has taken up residence in the former ecumenical center of the sept mares neighborhood, one of the focal points founding the new town of saint-quentin en yvelines. the building was originally a house of worship — a simple and inward-looking construction due to its programatically required peace and quiet. the original brick structure was built by philippe deslandes between 1974 and 1977 with the desire that it embody the qualities of simplicity, modularity and anonymity.

all images © luc boegly

concrete and brick are the two materials present throughout the school. the use of brick in the renovation made it possible to retain the building’s original architectural principle and its inward-looking and private character. opus 5 architectes chose to seamlessly clad all the façades entirely with new bricks, treating the walls as ‘moucharabiehs’ in front of the windows, counterbalancing the complexity of the volumes through the complete material unity of the envelop. the hand-molded bricks are laid with a mortar-less technique. nuances of color enliven and modulate this continuous skin. during the evening, the shimmering interior lighting expresses the softness and serenity of this institution of learning and practice.

the fifth façade, visible to all the surrounding taller apartment buildings, is treated as a deep blue synthetic lawn. this blue roof evokes the blue note, immediately signaling the identity of the facility and forming a patch of color in the center of the esplanade. light wells flood the interior with a soft natural light, balancing the natural light penetrating through the moucharabiehs and endowing each room with a greater feeling of privacy. the architects sought, through the harmonious, luminous and attractive treatment of the interior spaces, to transform the building’s austere appearance into something more appealing to a younger public. they achieved this by focusing on fluidity of circulations, quality of volumes, light and materials, thereby turning the building into a harmonious space of pleasure and fulfillment.