French architectural firm Pascale Guédot have designed the Oloron-Sainte-Marie Multimedia Centre, located in the town of Oloron-Sainte-Marie in south-western France. Situated at the end of the confluence, the new multimedia centre – unlike the beret factory it replaced – provides access to the river banks. It is the balcony overhanging the water that releases the space for a fine public promenade, right alongside the rivers. This combines with two terraces of greenery designed by Michel Corajoud, laid out below and on either side of the portico. Together, the design acts as a catalyst to magnify the environment. Modeled by the stone foundation of the former factory, the shape of the building – the multimedia centre is designed around a set of superimposed volumes – is of great simplicity. The main block, overlaid with a transparent wooden lattice, which contains the reading rooms and administration, conveys a sense of levitation through the presence of a recessed intermediate level made entirely of glass, containing the children’s space. The bow of this wooden vessel culminates in a wide window offering spectacular views over the torrents. In synergy with promenade viewing point, this detail unveils a building that is shaped by and for its environment.
