Ateliers Adeline Rispal

Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library

Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library 

Ateliers A+

Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
© Camille Gharbi

ARCHITECTS
Ateliers A+

ROADS AND VARIOUS NETWORKS
Colas Company. Public Works Company

DESIGN TEAM
Ateliers A+

AUDIOVISUAL
Lagoona Lyon

ELECTRICITY
Electro Industrie

MANUFACTURERS
Blachère, Carrillo, Cubero, Landragin, Pertuis Froid, Reflets Du Sud, Soprema, Tk Elevator, Violan

SOUNSTAGE LIGHTING DESIGND
Lagoona Lyon

HEAVY-CURRENT ENGINEERING
Thermatic Ag

STRUCTURAL WORKS
Smb

GREEN AREAS
Le Jardinier De Gaïa

WEAK CURRENT
Thermatic Ag

METALWORK
Sm Gargini

INSULATION
Di Projection

SOUND
Lagoona Lyon

PHOTOGRAPHS
Camille Gharbi

AREA
1900 M²

YEAR
2024

LOCATION
Le Grau-du-roi, France

CATEGORY
Library, Cultural Center

Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
© Camille Gharbi

Text description provided by architect.

The new municipal event hall, L'Agora, and the intercommunal media library, Ernest Hemingway, jointly housed within the same shared building, have been designed as an elegant expression of the strong identity of Le Grau-du-Roi.

As an urban amphitheater open to the city and its surrounding nature, its contemporary design structures the public space.

Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
© Camille Gharbi
Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
© Camille Gharbi

Located at the heart of an urban redevelopment site, near the train station, schools, and the Palais des Sports et de la Culture, this new public facility - a place of culture and conviviality- contributes to community life.

Positioned at the end of the large pedestrian Rambla, like a landmark on the horizon, it evokes the spirit of a lighthouse at the port entrance.

Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
© Camille Gharbi
Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
© Camille Gharbi

This signature building stands out with a bold wave cresting in the sky. As a fragment of landscape suspended between the sea, dunes, and ships, it proudly asserts its territorial identity.

With a simple and clear geometry, the event hall forms the solid base of this public complex.

Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
© Camille Gharbi
Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
© Camille Gharbi

Its sand-colored, textured concrete foundation, reminiscent of the reeds of the Camargue ponds and maritime ropes, supports a glass-walled upper level.

Sheltered by wooden slats, the media library, designed with full transparency, opens up to distant views.

Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
© Camille Gharbi
Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
© Camille Gharbi
Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
© Camille Gharbi

Wood is also featured on the façades and within the interiors, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

The roof, a key architectural element due to its visibility from the site and the city surroundings, is clad in standing-seam metal, giving it a ribbed texture reminiscent of Mediterranean seashells.

The underside, covered with wooden planks, echoes the hulls of boats, while its terraces, resembling planted dunes and wooden pontoons, provide an outdoor living space for visitors.

Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
© Camille Gharbi
Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
© Camille Gharbi
Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
© Camille Gharbi

Clarity, compactness, proximity, and sustainability serve as the guiding principles of this new facility, designed to be both functional and symbolic.

Its organic and delicate architectural language draws inspiration from the city's history and surrounding landscapes, acting as a bridge between nature and the built environment, offering residents a new, emblematic gathering place.


Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
© Camille Gharbi
Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
© Camille Gharbi
Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
© Camille Gharbi
Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
© Camille Gharbi


Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
Elevation
Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
Main Elevation


Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
Longitudinal Section
Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
Cross Section


Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
Diagrams - Hall Configurations
Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
Site Plan
Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library
Axonoemtry

Ateliers Adeline Rispal
T +33 1 43569145
Ateliers Adeline Rispal
29 Rue Miguel Hidalgo, 75019 Paris, France