Since 1995, the Guinguette Pirate has developed artistic and
cultural projects on the Seine, refered to as 'intermediate' boats—
heritage boats rehabilitated into concert halls (the Guinguette Pirate
and Batofar) and host to interdisciplinary and outdoor events:
Musée imaginaire, Café de la marine, Piratages and Sous la Plage.
In 2006, the Guinguette Pirate asked Encore Heureux architectes to produce
schematics for the conversion of a boat, the Emile Allard, into a
cultural venue. However, ultimately the construction
of a completely new barge that was chosen for the Petit-Bain
project.
Despite being determined by the constraints of navigation, Petit-
Bain is not a boat, but a building floating on the river. Built in a
shipyard near Paris, it is situated in a gold triangle next to the National Library François Mitterrand.
It measures 40 m in length and 10.5 m wide
in order to pass through locks and under bridges and draws 5 meters.
Permanently moored at le port de la gare, the building is composed
of three levels with the concert hall in the hull, creating a double
height space in front of the stage that is unexpected from the dock.
Suspended in the air, above the public, a large buoy coated with
mirror facets inundates the room with thousands of light flashes.
Petit Bain by Encore Heureux
The French practice has completed its first commission: a floating building born from the conversion of a boat, the Emile Allard, into a cultural venue.
View Article details
- 27 July 2011
- Paris
To contrast with the whole hull and the structure made of steel, the
superstructure is covered with wood: pine plywood in the restaurant
on the inside and vertical slatted larch cladding outside.
On the terrace, an unusual garden to be enjoyed by the public allows
views of the Seine. Recovered from the demolition of a social
housing complex and donated by the town of Romainville, 33 white
tubs are filled with aquatic plants, as a counterpoint that illustrates
the name of this new floating cultural venue.
In shades that range from bright yellow to pale green, the hull,
decks and access underline this island in the city and enlivens the
greyness of the dock. In his photographic work on France, Raymond
Depardon stated: "The cool colors are supposed to be modern, in
contrast to yellow for example. It's hard yellow. And it's beautiful
too".
Encore Heureux architectes was founded in 2001 by Julien Choppin and Nicola Delon, graduated in 2002 from the Ecole d'architecture de Paris la Villette
To contrast with the whole hull and the structure made of steel, the superstructure is covered with wood: pine plywood in the restaurant on the inside and vertical slatted larch cladding outside
Petit Bain, Escale 7 du Port de la Gare–Paris 13ème
Client: Association la Guinguette Pirate
Architect: ENCORE HEUREUX architects/Julien Choppin and Nicola Delon
Head of project: Margot Cordier, FDI Jehan Ferber, naval expert
Global amount of work:€ 1.7 Million
Total operation:€ 2.2 Million
Surface: 550 m² (+ 365 m² exterior)
Weight: 470 tonnes
Dimensions: 40 m x 10.5 m x 6 m
Delivery: 5 july 2011