Saint-Étienne Higher School of Art and Design (ESADSE)
Within the Saint-Étienne Manufacture site, Building 241 is part of a large complex, listed as a Historical Monument, which also houses the Cité du Design.
To meet the needs of ESADSE (École Supérieure d'Art et de Design de Saint-Étienne), Saint-Étienne Métropole decided to develop the ground floor of Building 241, located directly opposite the school's administration offices.
Following the structural renovation, the project involves converting the ground floor of Building 241 to accommodate an auditorium, an exhibition hall, and the necessary teaching spaces for the Arts department: classrooms and workshops. A mezzanine has been created within the double-height space to increase the available usable area.
Within the 15-meter-wide by 60-meter-long space, the new volumes created leave the existing structure and expressive facades untouched. The large openings allow ample light to flood both facades and maintain a view through between the street and the courtyard, thus preserving the market hall's integration into the overall site.
Almost invisible from the outside, the intervention is also designed to be subtle on the inside, allowing the existing building's volume to speak for itself. With opaque surfaces inside reduced to the bare minimum, visual transparency between the street and the courtyard is maximized. Visual openings through the building reinforce the connection to the outside and the rest of the site.
The choice of materials and colors was carefully considered to maintain a workshop-like atmosphere while providing the thermal and acoustic qualities required today. Similarly, the equipment and furnishings were selected with care, in close consultation with the users.
Color Designer: Nadine Cahen
Exterior Renovation: Vurpas Architects
