Municipal service building
The new municipal service building is more than just a simple warehouse – it represents the town’s strong commitment to a self-sufficient energy supply and the careful use of natural resources. The 1,200-square-metre roof is therefore fitted with photovoltaic modules, and all rainwater is collected in an overground cistern. This 60-cubic-metre cistern has been designed as an integral, and noticeable, feature of the building that also contributes to its wind bracing. It enables the recovery of 700 cubic metres of rainwater per year, covering the irrigation requirements of all flowers, plants and football pitches in the municipality. The roof produces around 230,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, considerably more than the building consumes.
The primary structure of concrete offers high resistance to the demands of the climate and usage. It is combined with a lighter wooden supporting structure that was produced locally in the Vosges region. In close cooperation with our structural engineering office CAPEM, we developed a system of concrete arches and buttresses to subdivide the main rooms. In the generous spaces in between, the structure is completed by beams with variable moments of inertia, so-called «fish belly beams».
On the interior, the technical and industrial style is toned down in favour of a spiritual, almost sacred atmosphere. The hall is suffused with northern light, the light preferred by artists, making it an ideal place to work, so that it is easy to imagine the building having other lives and uses ahead of it.
