Drawing on the vernacular design vocabulary, the building is inspired by the imagery of the tobacco drying shed, whose generous shapes and compactness are ideally suited to the design brief. The use of the Piterak® XS cladding on the facade, together with the decorative slots of the Zonda XL and Autant XL brise-soleil sunscreens, evokes the ventilation holes that are characteristic of buildings of this type. This is an ingenious combination that plays with the light throughout the day and also guarantees an effective anti-intrusion solution. Determined to fully explore its approach, the agency decided to use applied cladding, also based on the imagery of tobacco drying sheds: “We installed the cladding on a metal structure”, explains Mr Mastrape, Works Supervisor at CEFB. The terracotta materials are very good and in the end this was quite simple. As the metal was smooth, we were able to work to the millimetre, to be extremely precise. This was an advantage in terms of the result, but also financially, as we were much quicker than I expected.”
This aesthetic success was also underlined by the elegance of the different volumes of the administrative and production sections that are interlinked in order to provide an immediate clear overview of the functions. Thanks to its warmth and the sense of hospitality it exudes, the Beige Sahara colour unifies the whole of this utilitarian building, which has been handled with the greatest delicacy.
Mr Yanpolski, architect at the Arte agency
“Our architectural approach to this project can be expressed using a quotation from Leonardo da Vinci “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. In terms of achieving this effect of simultaneous sobriety and subtlety, the Piterak and Autan products were ideally suited. The terracotta cladding also impressed us with its durability: used in many of our “old” projects, it remains in very good condition, the passing years having resulted in very little weathering on the terracotta. The Colomiers swimming pool, the Comminges Hall, the Petit Capitole Leisure Centre in Toulouse, the École Jules Ferry school in Colomiers, to name just a few. All projects that are also characterised by terracotta, a material that never ceases to inspire us! At Terreal, we strive to always be responsive, to provide answers to your questions, supply you with samples and resolve technical issues.”
UK
