Showroom and Storage Room in an Old Barn / Michael Menuet

Showroom and Storage Room in an Old Barn / Michael Menuet - Table, Windows, Chair, BeamShowroom and Storage Room in an Old Barn / Michael Menuet - WindowsShowroom and Storage Room in an Old Barn / Michael Menuet - ChairShowroom and Storage Room in an Old Barn / Michael Menuet - Windows, FacadeShowroom and Storage Room in an Old Barn / Michael Menuet - More Images+ 9

More SpecsLess Specs
Showroom and Storage Room in an Old Barn / Michael Menuet - Windows, Facade
© Edwige Lamy

Text description provided by the architects. The rehabilitation of this barn in the countryside outside of Aix-en-Provence gives Objekto, a furniture distribution company, an unusual showcase. The creations of Brazilian designers such as Paulo Mendes da Rocha, Mauricio Klabin and Rafic Farah are displayed with a view of Sainte-Victoire Mountain, in the heart of the Provence region.

Showroom and Storage Room in an Old Barn / Michael Menuet - Windows, Door, Facade
© Edwige Lamy

The building retains its existing volume, and its gable roof is slightly raised to obtain a comfortable ceiling height on the first floor. Half of the floor was redone in poured concrete to create an easily convertible single level.The central shear wallis separated from the facade walls for more fluidity. It outlines the four areas of the project: reception and storage room on the ground floor, office and showroom upstairs.

Showroom and Storage Room in an Old Barn / Michael Menuet - Chair
© Edwige Lamy
Showroom and Storage Room in an Old Barn / Michael Menuet - Image 10 of 14
Floor Plan
Showroom and Storage Room in an Old Barn / Michael Menuet - Table, Windows, Chair, Beam
© Edwige Lamy

Four large bay windows were carved out in the facade to provide stunning views looking out over the agricultural landscape of Provence and Sainte-Victoire. The exposed joints outside these bay windows give a hint from the street of the contemporary style used to repurpose the building.

Showroom and Storage Room in an Old Barn / Michael Menuet - Windows
© Edwige Lamy

Like a museum, the building puts the focus on the furniture being presented. The continuity of the floors, walls and ceilings of the first floor creates a homogeneous space that is white and timeless. The absence of baseboards, the white lacquered storage cabinets, the open angles of the window framing and the continuous ceiling up to the woodwork are all elements that dematerialise the office and showroom space. This whiteness is only interrupted by the shear stone walls and the views of the surrounding countryside, making the building more tangible in space and time.

Showroom and Storage Room in an Old Barn / Michael Menuet - Windows
Before

Project gallery

See allShow less

Project location

Address:Peynier, France

Click to open map
Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Showroom and Storage Room in an Old Barn / Michael Menuet" 08 Oct 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/774848/showroom-and-a-storage-room-in-an-old-barn-michael-menuet> ISSN 0719-8884

You've started following your first account!

Did you know?

You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.