Lyon, France
1992
DRAC
Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs
The Grenier d’Abondance was built during the reign of Louis XIV for the purpose of grain storage, and in 1993 became the home of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC).
Client
Program
Area
Planning
Client
Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles
Program
Rehabilitation of the DRAC offices (Historic Monuments), dance studios of the National Conservatory
Area
10 000 m²
Planning
Delivery
1992
It encloses an extraordinary interior space: three floors accommodate huge rooms, supported by three rows of groin vaults and served by an imposing central staircase.
The essentially curvilinear structure of vaults, columns and capitals is today overlaid by an orthogonal structure consisting of planes, ceilings and floors. Once a storage facility, the Grenier d’Abondance today contains, incorporated into its original structure, a contemporary architecture suited to workplaces. In the interests of authenticity, old architecture and contemporary expression are interwoven, making each of them all the more apparent in a dialogue across time.
The essentially curvilinear structure of vaults, columns and capitals is today overlaid by an orthogonal structure consisting of planes, ceilings and floors. Once a storage facility, the Grenier d’Abondance today contains, incorporated into its original structure, a contemporary architecture suited to workplaces. In the interests of authenticity, old architecture and contemporary expression are interwoven, making each of them all the more apparent in a dialogue across time.
Shell France Head Office