Espace St-Marc

Espace St-Marc
© Jean-Pierre Boss

Espace St-Marc

Voltolini architectures SARL+Jean-Paul Chabbey

SITE MANAGEMENT
Philippe Vaudan Architecte Hes

ENGINEERS
Guillaume Favre Ingénieurs Sa, Pierre Kurmann

PHOTOGRAPHS
Jean-pierre Boss

AREA
4257 m²

YEAR
2013

LOCATION
Le Châble, Switzerland

CATEGORY
Hospitality Architecture

Espace St-Marc
© Jean-Pierre Boss

Text description provided by architect.

The Espace St-Marc, a space for events and spectacles is located in the winding site of Dranse.

Held in between two concrete blocks, the lobby and main hall open up towards a perspective of the valley. From the interior the windows frame for our benefit the contours of the landscape.

Espace St-Marc
© Jean-Pierre Boss
Espace St-Marc
© Jean-Pierre Boss

The main hall offers a 900-sqm vast horizontal space, capable of holding a mobile 650-seat bleacher.

Different spaces annexed to this main hall (lobby, projection room, assembly hall, etc.) allow, through the different levels a variety of multifunctional usages.

Espace St-Marc
© Jean-Pierre Boss
Espace St-Marc
© Jean-Pierre Boss

While the materiality of the interior is treated as light rather than color, with a combination of golden and warm tones that highlight the natural light of the whole.

The overall volume is a single prism that combines the facades and roofs in a single composition and enveloping material.

Espace St-Marc
© Jean-Pierre Boss
Espace St-Marc
© Jean-Pierre Boss

The stainless steel coating sometimes shiny and sometimes matte creates a subtle game that interacts with the surrounding environment.

The material erases itself to express and reflect the surrounding context while the folds of the roof create a playful dialogue with the distant landscape and the mountainous « skyline » characteristic of the valley.

Espace St-Marc
© Jean-Pierre Boss
Espace St-Marc
© Jean-Pierre Boss
Espace St-Marc
© Jean-Pierre Boss


Espace St-Marc
© Jean-Pierre Boss
Espace St-Marc
© Jean-Pierre Boss
Espace St-Marc
© Jean-Pierre Boss


Espace St-Marc
© Jean-Pierre Boss
Espace St-Marc
© Jean-Pierre Boss
Espace St-Marc
© Jean-Pierre Boss


Espace St-Marc
Section 1
Espace St-Marc
Section 2


Espace St-Marc
Ground Floor Plan
Espace St-Marc
First Floor Plan
Espace St-Marc
Section 3
Espace St-Marc
Site Plan


Espace St-Marc
Detail 1
Espace St-Marc
Detail 2
Espace St-Marc
Detail 3
Espace St-Marc
Detail 4