SO – IL shares latest imagery of its ‘site verrier’ cultural center, nearing completion in meisenthal, france. the publicly funded center occupies an historic glass factory which dates back to the 18th century, hidden among the postcard landscapes of northern vosges natural park. designed in collaboration with FREAKS freearchitects, PILA & LFA, the project hosts three independent institutions. the glass museum (musée du verre et du cristal) stands as a living memory tracing the history of glass at the site. the CIAV (centre international d’art verrier) introduces an international glass art center where traditional craftsmanship meets contemporary practices. the cadhame (halle verrière) is a multidisciplinary cultural space hosting art installations, happenings and concerts. the intervention by SO – IL unifies the three programs to define a contemporary identity that celebrates its industrial heritage.
image by laurian ghinitoiu
the design team at SO – IL sculpts its site verrier with an undulating poured-in-place concrete surface, recalling its history of glass production as it unites the buildings. designed together with FREAKS, PILA & LFA, this surface functions as roof, ceiling, and wall, uniting the ground levels of the three institutions to frame a public plaza. secondary programs are sensitively introduced above and beneath this surface, including offices, workshop areas, a cafe, and restaurant.
rendering courtesy of SO – IL, FREAKS, PILA & LFA
with its site verrier intervention, SO – IL reimagines and extends the functions of the existing buildings. the factory hall is opened up with a new entrance on a previously unused basement level. a 500-seat black box theater can be reconfigured with standing room for 700 or opened into a concert hall for 3,000. the new public space heightens civic awareness of the historical site while introducing a highly flexible venue for outdoor theater, concerts, and seasonal events.
image by florent lukas, LFA
image by david foessel
image by laurian ghinitoiu
image by laurian ghinitoiu
image by laurian ghinitoiu
image by david foessel
image by david foessel
image by david foessel
image by david foessel
image by david foessel
image by david foessel
image by david foessel
image by david foessel
image by david foessel
project info:
project title: site verrier
architecture: SO – IL
location: meisenthal, france
design team: florian idenburg, jing liu, ilias papageorgiou, lucie rebeyrol, ian ollivier, seunghyun kang, pietro pagliaro, danny duong, antoine vacheron
client: communauté de communes du pays de bitche
associated architects: FREAKS, PILA & LFA
structural/MEP engineer: MHI
scenography: dUCKS
cost estimator: MDETC
cost estimator: VPEAS
acoustic: peutz
area: 6,500 square meters (70,000 square feet)
status: ongoing
photography: david foessel, laurian ghinitoiu, florent lukas
