FONDS REGIONAL D’ART CONTEMPORAIN in Marseille, France by Kengo Kuma & Associates

Article source: Kengo Kuma & Associates

The project of the contemporary art center (FRAC) for the region Provence Alpes Cotes d’Azur (PACA) is the 3D version of the “museum without walls” invented by André Malraux, famous Frenchwriter and politician. It is a museum without a museum, a living and moving place, where the art pieces are in a constant movement and join the logic of diffusion and interaction with the visitors.

Image Courtesy © Nicolas Waltefaugle

• Architects: Kengo Kuma & Associates & Toury et Vallet
• Project: FONDS REGIONAL D’ART CONTEMPORAIN
• Location: Marseille, France
• Photography: Nicolas Waltefaugle, Erieta Attali
• Period: 2007-2013
• Local architect: Toury et Vallet
• Client: Région Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur, AREA
• Structure engineer: CEBAT ingénierie
• Mechanical engineer: ETB Antonelli
• Facade engineer: ARCORA
• QS: Campion
• Acoustic: ACCORD acoustique
• HGE: Tribu
• Total floor area: 5757 m², SHON 6125m²
• Site area: 1,570 m²
• Architects: Paris and Toyko, Kengo Kuma, Yuki Ikeguchi, Nicolas Moreau, Louise Lemoine, Félicien Duval, Shinku Noda, Jun Shibata
• Architects in charge of the construction site: Nicolas Moreau, Jean-Daniel Boyé, Frank Anderle, LoïcLequertier, Pascal Ferrera
•  Competition: Nicolas Moreau, MasafumiHarigai

Image Courtesy © Nicolas Waltefaugle

KKAA thought the FRAC as a signal in the city, which allows a better visibility to contemporary art.

The building stands up as a landmark which identity is clearly asserted.

It is composed with two recognizable parts:

The main body along the street Vincent Leblanc contains the exhibition spaces and documentation center

A small tower with auditorium and children’s workshop, offers an upper terrace on the main boulevard.

Image Courtesy © Nicolas Waltefaugle

These two clearly identified entities are connected between them by a set of footbridges and are unified by the envelope made by anglass skin, composed with panels with changing opacity.

The building explores the theme of the windows and openings on different scales. KKAA wishes to create a particular space of creation and life, which action and effect is bounded to the entire city, as well as the surrounding district and neighborhood (cafe-terrace…).

Image Courtesy © Nicolas Waltefaugle

Image Courtesy © Nicolas Waltefaugle

Image Courtesy © Nicolas Waltefaugle

Image Courtesy © Nicolas Waltefaugle

Image Courtesy © Nicolas Waltefaugle

Image Courtesy © Erieta Attali

Image Courtesy © Erieta Attali

Image Courtesy © Erieta Attali

Image Courtesy © Erieta Attali

Image Courtesy © Erieta Attali

Image Courtesy © Nicolas Waltefaugle

Image Courtesy © Erieta Attali

Image Courtesy © Kengo Kuma & Associates

Image Courtesy © Kengo Kuma & Associates

Tags: France, Marseille

Category: Art Center

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