Pôle associatif et culturel Elie Bataille | TAUTEM Architecture

In Bellegarde, at the edge of the Petite Camargue, TAUTEM has completed a poetic and low-cost cultural and sports facility that has reshaped the skyline of the Costière. Densely organised on two levels, the building houses a modular theatre, a music school, a dojo, a weightlifting room, two dance rooms, and a gymnastics room. It was designed to be extremely compact to limit its footprint, which generates a friendly dialogue between the disciplines and their practitioners.

An appropriate and poetic architectural position

It is as if TAUTEM has retrieved from this olive oil and wine producing region of Costières a few pebbles which the Rhone seemingly abandoned the task of carrying to the sea, deciding instead to transform them into jewels. This object is placed upon a podium of clear and shiny silicone. The façades, the genuine facets of this jewel, all receive the same amount of attention to create a building whose easily perceived building volumed in its materiality. This simple yet precious object rises to the challenge of reconciling modernity, timelessness, and restraint whilst fully embracing its homeland. At nightfall, it becomes a poetic light box that provides lighting and makes the skyline shimmer.

Placing the landscape and architectural disciplines and generations in dialogue

The tight construction budget makes superfluous surfaces prohibitive, thereby requiring the greatest possible compactness of its volume.  To achieve this, the building is crossed by a double height lobby providing access to all activities. It creates a joyful, bright, and generous shared interior street conducive to encounters and facilitating exchange.

Spaces are organised in relation to views. Activities that require natural light or not, are located in the podium. The upper floor takes advantage of the exceptional panoramic views. All the larger rooms are located here where the exterior can be optimally framed, creating genuine pleasure from contemplating this landscape marked by history.

Commitment to an environmental approach

It is indeed a form of architecture anchored in the geography, history, and climate of the area of Argence. To do this, the project reconciles liveability, budget control and optimal sustainable development:

- Maximum compactness of the volume and shared spaces.

- Cantilevers for protection from rain, and summer sun on the ground floor.

- Control of light and aeraulic flows to contribute to the comfort of users by aiming to flatten peaks of temperature and maximise air quality. Natural light is generous and ensures energy savings.

- The choice of using materials left in their rough-hewn form help to achieve construction of a sustainable building, whilst requiring little maintenance.