SO – IL shares latest imagery of its ‘site verrier’ cultural center, nearing completion in meisenthal, france. the publicly funded center occupies an historic glass factory which dates back to the 18th century, hidden among the postcard landscapes of northern vosges natural park. designed in collaboration with FREAKS freearchitects, PILA & LFA, the project hosts three independent institutions. the glass museum (musée du verre et du cristal) stands as a living memory tracing the history of glass at the site. the CIAV (centre international d’art verrier) introduces an international glass art center where traditional craftsmanship meets contemporary practices. the cadhame (halle verrière) is a multidisciplinary cultural space hosting art installations, happenings and concerts. the intervention by SO – IL unifies the three programs to define a contemporary identity that celebrates its industrial heritage.

so il site verrier
image by laurian ghinitoiu

 

 

the design team at SO – IL sculpts its site verrier with an undulating poured-in-place concrete surface, recalling its history of glass production as it unites the buildings. designed together with FREAKS, PILA & LFA, this surface functions as roof, ceiling, and wall, uniting the ground levels of the three institutions to frame a public plaza. secondary programs are sensitively introduced above and beneath this surface, including offices, workshop areas, a cafe, and restaurant.

with undulating concrete surface, SO – IL's 'site verrier' nears completion in france
rendering courtesy of SO – IL, FREAKS, PILA & LFA

 

 

with its site verrier intervention, SO – IL reimagines and extends the functions of the existing buildings. the factory hall is opened up with a new entrance on a previously unused basement level. a 500-seat black box theater can be reconfigured with standing room for 700 or opened into a concert hall for 3,000. the new public space heightens civic awareness of the historical site while introducing a highly flexible venue for outdoor theater, concerts, and seasonal events.

with undulating concrete surface, SO – IL's 'site verrier' nears completion in france
image by florent lukas, LFA

so il site verrier
image by david foessel

so il site verrier
image by laurian ghinitoiu

so il site verrier
image by laurian ghinitoiu

so il site verrier
image by laurian ghinitoiu

so il site verrier
image by david foessel

so il site verrier
image by david foessel

so il site verrier
image by david foessel

so il site verrier
image by david foessel

so il site verrier
image by david foessel

so il site verrier
image by david foessel

so il site verrier
image by david foessel

so il site verrier
image by david foessel

so il site verrier
image by david foessel

 

 

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project info:

 

project title: site verrier

architecture: SO – IL

location: meisenthal, france

design team: florian idenburg, jing liu, ilias papageorgiou, lucie rebeyrol, ian ollivier, seunghyun kang, pietro pagliaro, danny duong, antoine vacheron

client: communauté de communes du pays de bitche

associated architects: FREAKS, PILA & LFA

structural/MEP engineer: MHI

scenography: dUCKS

cost estimator: MDETC

cost estimator: VPEAS

acoustic: peutz

area: ​6,500 square meters (70,000 square feet)

status: ongoing

photography: david foessel, laurian ghinitoiu, florent lukas