Cultural centre in Vaison-la-Romaine

  • Street-side view of the Youth Cultural Centre in Vaison-la-Romaine, a low stone volume with metal screens and young trees set against distant hills.
  • Youth Cultural Centre in Vaison-la-Romaine, showing a long stone enclosure with rhythmic piers, sheltered walkway and mineral forecourt under a clear sky.
  • Timber pergola and stone colonnade along the Youth Cultural Centre in Vaison-la-Romaine, forming a shaded walkway with planted beds and climbing vines.
  • Timber and rammed-earth courtyard of the Youth Cultural Centre in Vaison-la-Romaine, with covered walkway, planted beds and monolithic seating blocks.
  • Dance studio of the Youth Cultural Centre in Vaison-la-Romaine, with timber floor, acoustic timber wall panels, red curtain and skylit faceted ceiling.
  • Interior of the Youth Cultural Centre in Vaison-la-Romaine, showing a timber-lined performance hall with vaulted acoustic ceiling and suspended lighting grids.

Located within a housing estate, the project defines a 55‑metre square, marked out by a solid stone enclosure. This geometry asserts the presence of the cultural facility within a fragmented peri-urban fabric. Inside the enclosure, two wings are positioned on either side of a central void occupied by a garden and a multi-sport court. The dance studios and the main performance hall are identified by distinct volumes that emerge from the low, horizontal base.

  • Distant view of the Youth Cultural Center in Vaison-la-Romaine, a compact stone complex emerging from flat fields and trees under an open sky.
  • Site plan of Vaison-la-Romaine showing the Youth Cultural Center context within the historic urban fabric, between Roman remains and the Ouvèze river.
    Aerial zoning plan of the L’ESSENTIEL housing estate, showing the plotted lots, internal road network, green alignments and agricultural zones within the peri-urban fabric.
    Urban plan of Vaison-la-Romaine showing dispersed housing fabric; the Youth Cultural Center appears as a solid black square within the suburban grid.
  • Process sketch of Vaison-la-Romaine cultural centre showing a 55 m stone square, two low wings and a central garden with multi-sport court.
  • Stone quarry near Vaison-la-Romaine, with stepped extraction terraces and stacked rectangular blocks, source material for the Youth Cultural Center.
    Stone block being lifted in a quarry workshop for the Youth Cultural Center in Vaison-la-Romaine, showing raw masonry material and handling process.
    Industrial stone saw cutting a large block for the Youth Cultural Center in Vaison-la-Romaine, illustrating the solid stone enclosure under fabrication.
    Stacks of rectangular stone blocks for the Youth Cultural Center in Vaison-la-Romaine, showing the rough-cut masonry units that form the solid enclosure.
  • Aerial view of the Youth Cultural Center in Vaison-la-Romaine, a stone-framed courtyard complex with central sports court, garden and solar roofs.
  • Site plan of the Youth Cultural Center in Vaison-la-Romaine, a stone-enclosed square with two wings framing a central garden and multi-sport court.

    Site plan

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  • Axonometric drawing of the Youth Cultural Center in Vaison-la-Romaine, showing stone perimeter walls, twin wings, garden courtyard and multi-sport court.

    Axonometric view

  • Ground floor plan of the Youth Cultural Center in Vaison-la-Romaine, showing stone enclosure, central sports court, garden patio and performance hall.

    Ground floor plan

  • Section drawing of the Youth Cultural Center in Vaison-la-Romaine, showing stone enclosure, central garden with trees, and two contrasting roof volumes.

    Cross section

  • Longitudinal section of the Youth Cultural Center in Vaison-la-Romaine, showing stone enclosure, garden and sports court between two distinct hall volumes.

    Cross section

  • Section drawing of the Youth Cultural Center in Vaison-la-Romaine, showing two low wings, stone enclosure, garden trees and distinct roof volumes.

    Cross section

  • Elevation drawing of the Youth Cultural Center in Vaison-la-Romaine, showing a low stone base, emerging hall volumes and enclosed garden with trees.

    South elevation

  • Elevation drawing of the Youth Cultural Center in Vaison-la-Romaine, showing a low stone enclosure with emerging roof volumes and inner garden trees.

    West elevation

  • Elevation drawing of the Youth Cultural Center in Vaison-la-Romaine, showing a low stone enclosure, recessed openings and taller roof volumes over halls.

    North elevation

  • Elevation drawing of the Youth Cultural Center in Vaison-la-Romaine, showing a low stone enclosure, recessed glazed bays and taller hall volumes behind.

    North patio elevation

  • Axonometric section of the Youth Cultural Center in Vaison-la-Romaine, showing a stone enclosure, timber hall, sloping roof and glazed dance studio.

    Street façade detail, pergola and dance hall axonometric view

  • Axonometric detail of the Youth Cultural Center in Vaison-la-Romaine, showing timber roof structure, stone enclosure wall and pergola framing over an exterior space.

    Street façade detail, pergola and dance hall axonometric view

Project details

  • Address
    145 rue Pierre de Coubertin, Vaison-la-Romaine, Vaucluse
  • Dates
    2022-2026
  • Programme
    Music school, dance school, performance hall, leisure centre, city stadium
  • Surface area
    1,500 m2
  • Budget
    4.8 M€
  • Regulatory framework
    RE 2020 niveau 2028 – Cep – 30 %
  • Carbon emissions
    1,340 kgCO2eq/m2
  • Energy consumption
    45 kWh/m2/year
  • Labels
    Bâtiment biosourcé niveau 3, E3C2
  • Notable details
    Solid stone, timber post-and-beam structure, timber-frame walls with wood-fibre insulation, standard roof in CLT panels, Douglas fir cladding, borehole geothermal system, heating and cooling underfloor slab, photovoltaic panels, dual-flow mechanical ventilation

Credits

  • Client
    Communauté de communes Vaison-Ventoux, GNI+ (AMO)
  • Project management
    Tectoniques (architect, lead), LJN (landscape architect), Tectoniques Ingénieurs (cost consultant, MEP engineering, sustainability consultant, timber structure, concrete structure), Gamba (acoustic consultant), Igbat&Co (CFO-CFA)
  • Photography
    Maxime Verret