The conservatory site presents a complex, shifting urban space. At the foot of a thirty year old apartment block, in line with the strikingly designed swimming pool and opposite the local theatre, the Aubervilliers conservatory, with its highly respected cultural programme, is a crucial element in the town’s urban landscape.
The conservatory includes a shared hallway, an auditorium and music and dance classes. The shared hallway, the hub of the conservatory, sits at the heart of the plot and winds through the building’s foundations.Doors providing public access to the auditorium are spread out along the way.
Particular attention has been paid to making the volume of the auditorium stage flexible.Panels have been fitted at the sides and the back of the stage to a mobile ceiling, so as to be able to adjust the stage space and provide intimacy between audiences and musicians, whatever their particular needs.Here again, a raised peripheral gallery encourages a less dramaturgical relationship to the stage.
The teaching facilities for instruments are on the upper floors.Music theory classes are placed between the upper and lower spaces, immediately next to the cafeteria and the hall and close to the offices.For the music classrooms, the Chochon Pierre agency has opted for economical architectural principles based on utility. For example, window size is defined by the required levels of insulation.
THE LANDSCAPE
A rooftop rock garden is open to students as a space to relax.Special attention has also been paid to the fifth façade, to ensure that the views for residents of the apartment block on Rue Gémier are not spoilt.
The design is neither submissive nor condescending, but always open to the surrounding architectural strata, ensuring that the project is grounded in its contemporary context and belongs to the town of Aubervilliers.
