‘Henri Dutilleux’ Conservatoire of Music, Dance and Dramatic Arts Belfort

The building is located in the upper part of the town. It backs onto the woods, forming the final outlying limit of the built-up area. Echoing the open landscape, it faces to Belfort Lion on the hilltop opposite. In this strong context, the building offers its solidity, an almost opaque mass of grey concrete. The surface of the mass has an unusual texture, hinting at plants or the veins in marble. It has been achieved by drip painting in two shades of blue. The drips of paint lend depth and thickness to the skin of the building. The surfaces vibrate in the light, apparently in motion – matter ceases to be static.

The concrete monolith exudes an enigmatic presence. Only the volume of the dance room seems to be looking at the Lion, constructed in 1879 as a symbol of resistance to the enemy. The building condenses a programme with very varied volumes. The building contains two auditoriums, a theatre, a large dance room, a library, classrooms, administrative offices, and a host of studios with very varied volumes and areas. The acoustic of each studio is designed to suit one specific instrument. The areas appear to fit into each other. Empty areas are hollowed out of this compact mass, creating relationships between the different levels. The entrance hall is on an unexpected scale. The library seems to be suspended, marking out the cross-section and serving as a giant deflector. The central patio is the darkest area. Its colour and its negative drip design reverse the codes of the outer envelope. It is the ultimate expression of density.

Project: Music, Theater and Dance Conservatory in Belfort

Client: Communauté d’Agglomération Belfortaine

Architect : Dominique Coulon & associés
Dominique Coulon, Steve Letho Duclos
Architects assistants : Guillaume Wittmann, Lukas Unbekandt
Construction site supervision : Steve Letho Duclos, Lukas Unbekandt

Engineers and consultants :
Structural Engineer : Batiserf Ingénierie
Electrical Engineer : BEE.FL
Mechanical Plumbing Engineer : Solares Bauen
Cost Estimator : E3 économie
Acoustics : Euro Sound Project

Program : 32 classrooms, 6 collective classrooms, 4 rehearseal collective rooms, 4 Studios,
Auditorium : 140 seats, Amphitheater : 70 seats, Dance Hall, Media library, Drama room, Percussion room

Address : 1 Rue Paul Koepfler, 90000 Belfort / Localisation GPS : 47.638133, 6.849939
 
Surface : 3895 m2

Budget : 6 326 000 € H.T

Schedule :
Competition : février 2011
Plans and technical phases : from april 2011 to june 2012
Construction : from june 2012 to september 2015

Construction companies :
Earthworks, sewerage networks and road works (Eurovia), concrete structure (ALBIZZATI  Père & Fils), water proofing roofing (Soprema), metalworks (Antonietti), exterior joinery (Hunsinger), plastering (Curti), interior wood work (Negro Pere et Fils), wooden floors (STTS Tennis et sols), glued floors (Mirolo Pere et Fils), resine floors (Floorcolor), tiled floors (Petracca), concrete screed (De Stefano), painting (Curti), heating and ventilation (EIMI), plombing and drainage (Beyler), electricity (Zanelec), exterior isolation(Pole bâtiment), elevator (Schindler)

Photography : Eugeni Pons