Former 300 m tannery2, the place, although the victim of a fire and then successive and hazardous renovations, showed extraordinary potential. A real favorite for the client, a theater director, who immediately saw it as the ideal setting for her dual project: intimate living space and dynamic place of creation.
The architectural ensemble is spread around a large central workshop transformed into a living room, offering a spectacular height of 7m under a magnificent overhead glass roof. This "public" space then revolves around a house on two levels and an intriguing clay cellar.
From stage to city: a hybrid program The renovation program, as ambitious as it is essential, aims to combine professional and private use. The major transformation is concentrated underground: the 60 m2 the old cellar was meticulously disbursed by 40cm in order to gain height under the original brick vaults, and to accommodate an essential insulated slab. This major technical intervention made it possible to set up a perfectly functional rehearsal room for weekly dance and theater classes.
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Public space & reception: The glass-roofed living room remains the beating heart of the loft, a place that can be adapted thanks to bistro tables, promoting conviviality and artistic exchanges. The open kitchen is subtly distinguished by a bar erected from bricks recovered from the site, a touch of history and economy.
Guest area: The mezzanine has been optimized to accommodate, comprising two bedrooms, a small open living room and a dedicated bathroom.
Private space: The adjacent house retains its vocation of privacy, with an office on the ground floor, overlooking the garden, and, upstairs, a small living room, the master bedroom and a bathroom.
The praise of industrial brutalism Apart from the frame, the original staircase and the solid stone load-bearing walls, the site required almost total rehabilitation. Glass roof, zinc roof, floors, complete insulation, networks (electricity, heating, plumbing): everything has been reviewed, the layout being however designed to remain essential and control a tight budget. The work on the oak frame, marked by the flames of the fire, is emblematic of this renaissance. After structural verification, the beams were carefully stripped, contributing to the final aesthetic of the place.
It is also the industrial past which is magnified by the final design: the restored framework is graphically cut out on the white walls, while the new glass roof, taking up the design of the old one, ensures optimal thermal and sound insulation. The metal elements —sliding door, suspensions, cast iron radiators — are chosen for their resonance with the history of the place, giving a very graphic result.
A nice surprise crowned the restoration effort: the discovery of old wrought iron elevator grilles. These remains have been cleverly reused to make up the guardrail, integrating perfectly and infusing a real extra soul into the loft.
