‘cine 32’ by encore heureaux, auchs,gers, france image © sébastien normand all images courtesy of encore heureaux

 

 

 

paris-based architects at encore heureux consistently find design synthesis through poignant and standout collaborations. their bold sensibility finds its way into a the 850-seat ‘cine 32‘, an art house movie theater on the site of a former military camp in the auch, the historical capital of french gascony. the five stadium-style rooms are an adventurous foray into the collective joy of movie-going, architecturally expressed in bold color and honest materials. the downtown building had to straddle an aesthetic that both appealed to an always-mixed public and showed a streamlined sense of individualism.

encore heureux: cine 32, francea view of the movie theater in contextimage © sébastien normand

 

 

 

the result is an architecture that puts the traditional forms of pedimented tobacco dryers, seen widely in southwestern france, in dialogue with the graphic signage of contemporary artist bonnefritte. the ‘headlining’ sign dances with gestures of neon along the main street, joyfully hand-painted and unabashedly present. the curved, peaked projection rooms are additionally clad in a wooden skin fixed into geometric patterns. cinema affords architecture the complex and unique opportunity to create spaces of collective discovery and make atmospheres for a specialized public that is embarking on an unusual journey, it is only so appropriate the the building matches the exuberance of the endeavor.

encore heureux: cine 32, francethe hand-painted signage is tempered by a graduated wooden skin image © sébastien normand

encore heureux: cine 32, francethe theater attracts a mixed crowd image © sébastien normand

encore heureux: cine 32, francefive stadium-style projection rooms stagger in plan image © sébastien normand

encore heureux: cine 32, francethe cinema benefits from ample outdoor space image © sébastien normand

encore heureux: cine 32, francedetail of the patterned wooden cladding image © adélaide maisonabe

encore heureux: cine 32, franceconcession stands continue the language of honest materials image © adélaide maisonabe

encore heureux: cine 32, franceprogrammed public spaces curate the theater’s paths of circulationimage © adélaide maisonabe

encore heureux: cine 32, franceimage © sébastien normand

encore heureux: cine 32, franceinteriors are aesthetically flexible to fit the changing film posters image © sébastien normand

encore heureux: cine 32, franceimage © sébastien normand

encore heureux: cine 32, francesharing the cinematic experience was a priority image © sébastien normand

encore heureux: cine 32, francethe theater’s administrative offices are situated in the pediment of the main building, with a translucent facade to boot image © sébastien normand

encore heureux: cine 32, franceprojectors are cooled by duct-work woven into exposed beams image © adelaide maisonabe

encore heureux: cine 32, franceeach room is arranged by color, from ‘starry night’ to ‘sunrise’ image © sébastien normand

encore heureux: cine 32, francethe sunrise room image © sébastien normand

encore heureux: cine 32, francestarry night twinkles in the dark image © sébastien normand

encore heureux: cine 32, francecinema is designed to be a collective journey image © sébastien normand

encore heureux: cine 32, francebathrooms are clad in vintage movie posters image © sébastien normand

encore heureux: cine 32, francerich colors draw the architecture together without detracting from the films image © sébastien normand

encore heureux: cine 32, franceviews of the outdoor terrace image © sébastien normand

encore heureux: cine 32, franceartist bonnefritte’s signage makes the building a beaconimage © sébastien normand

encore heureux: cine 32, franceat night the cinema is a vibrant standout in downtown suburbia image © sébastien normand

 

 

encore heureux: cine 32, france

encore heureux: cine 32, france

site plan

 

 

encore heureux: cine 32, france

floor plan

 

 

encore heureux: cine 32, france

floor plan

 

 

encore heureux: cine 32, france

ambulatory section

 

 

encore heureux: cine 32, france

longitudinal section

 

 

encore heureux: cine 32, france

short section 1

 

 

encore heureux: cine 32, france

short section 2

 

 

encore heureux: cine 32, france

elevation