larch cladding folds over a gymnasium in france to echo the mountain topography

architectural photographer aurélien aumond shares a video and images of a new gymnasium built for the town of guillestre in les hautes alpes, france. designed by architects marie garcin & gilles coromp, the project is located amid mountainous scenery, which served as inspiration for the shape of the building. 

all images by aurélien aumond for studio MODULE

considering the mountain topography, one of the main challenges faced by marie garcin & gilles coromp was how to deal with the natural slope of the ground. they opted for a design over two levels, which are connected via an elevator and large external steps. 

on the first floor you can find a playground for team sports such as handball, basketball and vollyball, and a climbing wall designed for high level competitions. the second floor is dedicated to gymnastic practice and storage. outside, an athletic track is formed on the roof of the first floor level. there is also a playground for outdoor sports. 

as for the overall aesthetic of the new gymnasium, the architects decided to cover the building in larch cladding in order to complement the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape. blackened towards the ends of the timber slats, the larch is formed like a pleated skirt. the roof is clad in grey-colored larch, which folds over the building to echo the peaks of the mountains behind. 

video by aurélien aumond for studio MODULE

project info:

project name: guillestre gymnasium (gymnase de guillestre)

location: guillestre, hautes alpes, france

architects: marie garcin & gilles coromp

total floor area: 19,375 ft2 (1800 m2)

budget: €2.1m

video and images: aurélien aumond for studio MODULE

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom