Passy Cultural Center / Beckmann N’Thepe

Architects: Agence Beckmann-N’Thépé
Location: Passy – 74, France
Project Manager: Nicolas Gaudard
Project Team: Laura Giovannetti, Mathilde Mahler, Juliane Stolberg
Collaborators: Camille Gaven, Linna Lay, Thaïs de Roquemaurel
Client: Mairie de Passy (74)
Execution Company: COTEC
Contractor: GFC Construction
Project Area: 2,800 sqm
Budget: 5.2 M€ excl. VAT
Project Year: 2009
Photographs: Stephan Lucas

“Although unusually set within the site, the building subtly blends in with the surroundings. With its long timber roof, it creates a new horizon, a cut-out silhouette that forms a huge sculpture on the scale of the landscape. In this way, the project takes on a symbolic, contemporary dimension.

Walking about under the roof, the visitor discovers not one, but two places. Starting out from a central covered plaza, the building spreads out on one side into an activity room, and on the other into a youth club offering all kinds of activities. There is plenty of room to move around, with extra spaces to be used freely. And regularly-spaced door and window openings let in natural daylight, with broad eaves providing shade.

‘Pixelisation’ of the openings and the signs creates superimpositions that supply a link between the natural and constructed elements. So this cultural venue ensures that indoors and outdoors are placed on the same footing, and hence future users with nature.”