serero architects: meudon-la-foret cultural centre

'cultural center of meudon-la-foret' by serero architects, france
all images courtesy of serero architects


paris-based serero architects has won the competition for a new cultural center in meudon-la-foret,
france. the building features an organic concrete shell with punched out windows inspired
by the nature of tree canopies. following the existing orthogonal grid of the district, the center
fits into the surrounding urban context while still having an identity.

conceived from the inside out, a key component of the design was to delimit space. the 300-seat
auditorium stands in the center of the complex with public and administrative programs bordering the core.
natural light is widely facilitated through the trapezoidal windows, the curtain wall on the ground floor
and the sheds on the roof of the studios. the sheds are equipped with lamps which are connected
to photosensitive cells to gradually switch on to make up for the lack of sunlight at the end of the day.

an important element of the project is the roof, which is constructed out of white concrete
with bits of local gravel and limestone. integrated into its performance are devices for controlling
the internal light and thermal atmosphere of the building. photovoltaic panels will be installed
on the south side of the slopped roof to harvest energy for electrical use.






interior



auditorium






outside space






'tree canopy' windows, dimensions



site plan



floor plan



exploded axo which shows the auditorium in the center and two levels of reception, meeting spaces, offices and studios around it


project info:

client: city of meudon
design team: david serero, bastien casasoprana, noriko harada, yoichi ozawa, amandine quillent, fabrice zaini
interior area: 1850 m2
exterior area: 6350 m2
budget: 5,970,000 €
structural engineer: scoping
landscape designer: OLM, BET
stage equipment: scene
acoustic engineer: ABB acoustique
graphic design: atelier 59