The Oignies coal mine closed in 1990, leaving a whole population and its industrial mining heritage in disarray (pithead buildings, industrial buildings, head frames). The project to reinstate this territory marked by decades of mining operations, began in 2005 with the competition mounted by the Hénin-Carvin Intermunicipal Council (14 municipalities, 125,000 population). Hérault Arnod’s competition-winning project proposes a program based on music and sound, in memory of the massive noise produced by this industrial site when in production, now fallen silent in its abandonment.

The “Salle des pendus” complex, headframe in the background, Image Courtesy © André Morin

• Architects: Herault Arnod Architects
• Project: 9-9 bis Transformation of a Former Mine Site Into a Cultural Complex
• Location: Oignies, France
• Photography: André Morin
• Project Managers: Matthieu Ballarin and Laetitia Capuano
• Co-contractors: Café Programmation, programme Michel Forgue, economics, Cap Paysages
• Subcontractors: Batiserf, structure, Nicolas Ingénierie, fluids
• Cost of works: €9 million before tax
• Area: 3578 m2

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