Aix en Provence Conservatory of Music / Kengo Kuma & Associates

Aix en Provence Conservatory of Music / Kengo Kuma & Associates - BeamAix en Provence Conservatory of Music / Kengo Kuma & Associates - Facade, SteelAix en Provence Conservatory of Music / Kengo Kuma & Associates - Stairs, Beam, HandrailAix en Provence Conservatory of Music / Kengo Kuma & Associates - Facade, SteelAix en Provence Conservatory of Music / Kengo Kuma & Associates - More Images+ 16

Aix-en-Provence, France
  • Design Team: Kengo Kuma, Diego Lopez Arahuetes, Miruna Constantinescu, Natalia Sanz, Elise Fauquenbergue, Miguel Orellana, Junki Wakuda, Tristan Zelic, Magnus Casselbrant, Ioanna Angelidou, Yuki Ito, Emilie Bret, Majid Katir, Roman Martin, Dennis Cheung, Chao Chen
  • Scenography: Changement à Vue
  • Façade Engineering: TESS
  • Construction Team: Mathieu Faliu, Miruna Constantinescu
  • Mechanical & Electrical Systems: Etb antonelli
  • Fire Protection: Vulcaneo
  • Client: Aix en Provence City Council
  • Budget: 15 797 000 euro
  • Site Area: 3 366 sqm
  • Total Floor Area: 7 395 sqm
  • Maximum Height: 23 m (5 stories maximum)
  • City: Aix-en-Provence
  • Country: France
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Aix en Provence Conservatory of Music / Kengo Kuma & Associates - Stairs, Beam, Handrail
© Roland Halbe

Text description provided by the architects. The project is a complex of the music conservatory, its concert hall and various other facilities. 

Aix en Provence Conservatory of Music / Kengo Kuma & Associates - Facade
© Roland Halbe

There is a big difference in elevation within the site, and its neighboring land is also diverse. To solve such complexity, we chose aluminum as a single material for each façade, to be folded in part according to the face. 

Aix en Provence Conservatory of Music / Kengo Kuma & Associates - Image 18 of 21
Section

By adding the work of “folding” to the thin aluminum panel, each façade is given subtle shading. The main element of the façade here, therefore, is light and shadow, instead of the aluminum. We were inspired for this idea by Paul Cézanne, the great artist from this region, and Japanese art of Origami.

Aix en Provence Conservatory of Music / Kengo Kuma & Associates - Handrail
© Roland Halbe

Folding also became useful in protecting the opening from the sunlight, and controlling the range of view from the opening. We also received an interesting remark that this façade evokes a musical score, the protagonist of conservatory.  

Aix en Provence Conservatory of Music / Kengo Kuma & Associates - Image 16 of 21
Floor Plan

Folding is also applied to the concert hall. An asymmetrical interior was generated as its result, and helped to make a resonance with colorful, free-spirited music by Darius Milhaud, again a composer of Aix-en-Provence whose name is crowned on the conservatory.

Aix en Provence Conservatory of Music / Kengo Kuma & Associates - Chair
© Roland Halbe

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Project location

Address:Aix-en-Provence, France

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Cite: "Aix en Provence Conservatory of Music / Kengo Kuma & Associates" 11 Jul 2014. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/523446/aix-en-provence-conservatory-of-music-kengo-kuma-and-associates> ISSN 0719-8884

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