titan completes sand-colored welcome pavilion at the coastal home of georges clémenceau

on france’s western coast, nantes-based architecture firm titan has completed a sand-colored structure that marks the location where georges clemenceau — the prime minister of france during the first world war — spent the last years of his life. located at the ocean’s edge in saint-vincent-sur-jard, the building serves as a welcome pavilion, replacing a structure that was destroyed by cyclone xynthia in 2010. the pavilion has been rebuilt to acquire visitors and help reinstate georges clemenceau’s house as a national monument.

the structure has been built from sand-colored concrete
image © julien lanoo (also main image)

the new building enters into a dialogue with the original structure, while a landscaped garden — designed by clemenceau and painter claude monet — is sandwiched in between. titan’s design is a discrete rectangular volume, gently embedded into its surroundings. serving as the gateway to the gardens beyond, the building contains a reception area, a museum shop, and an educational space. the structure has been built from sand-colored concrete, which gives it a robust and resilient appearance.

the design has a robust and resilient appearance
image © julien lanoo

‘we imagined the structure as a concrete monolithic volume emerging from the ground,’ explains the design team. ‘its hull, entirely built of concrete, blurs with the beach, the dunes and the courtyard, while clearly defining a passage from the open public space to the intimate gardens of clemenceau. combining minimalism with ecology, our concept imposes durability and integrity, and creates presence, but remains humble.’

the building contains a reception area, a museum shop, and an educational space
image © julien lanoo

the structure serves as the gateway to the gardens beyond
image © julien lanoo

the pavilion has been rebuilt to help reinstate georges clemenceau’s house as a national monument
image © julien lanoo

the site is located at the ocean’s edge in saint-vincent-sur-jard
image © julien lanoo

project info:

program: welcome pavilion
client: centre of national monuments location, saint-vincent sur jard, france
cost: €500,000
landscaping: €80,000
size: 125 sqm
completion: 2015 – 2017
team: titan (architects-landscape designer) ecb, luc moreau, inddigo, arest.