Nestled within the serene landscape of Vosges Natural Park, the Meisenthal Cultural Center is a publicly funded redevelopment built on the historic site of an 18th-century glass factory.
The project houses three independent yet interconnected institutions spread across different floors: the Glass Museum, which chronicles the history and vibrant legacy of glass production on this site; the International Glass Art Center, merging traditional craftsmanship with contemporary artistry; and the Cadhame Glass Hall, an interdisciplinary cultural venue hosting art installations, exhibitions, events, and concerts. The architects sought to unify these entities, redefining modern institutional identity through a dialogue with the site’s industrial heritage.
The architect employs a flowing, undulating surface of cast-in-place concrete that symbolizes the site’s previous glass production activities. This surface acts as a unifying element, connecting various parts of the building. Serving simultaneously as roof, ceiling, and wall, it links the lower floors to create a cohesive public square. Integrated within this surface are new functional spaces including offices, workshops, cafes, and restaurants.
The architects reimagined and expanded existing structures by designing a new entrance to the factory hall’s basement—a space previously unused—and adding a 500-seat black box theater. This versatile theater can be transformed to hold 700 standing attendees or, by opening partitions, can integrate with an adjacent music hall that accommodates up to 3,000 people.
This new cultural space not only raises public awareness of the historical site but also provides a highly adaptable venue for outdoor theater performances, concerts, and seasonal celebrations.
Project Drawings
△ Model Diagram
△ Model Diagram
△ Model Diagram
△ Model Diagram
△ General Layout Plan
△ First Floor Plan
△ Second Floor Plan
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
△ Partial Sectional View
△ Axonometric Diagram
Project Information
Architectural Design: FREAKS Architecture, SO-IL
Area: 6,500 m²
Project Year: 2021
Photographer: Iwan Baan
SO-IL Team: Florian Idenburg, Jing Liu, Ilias Papageorgiou, Lucie Rebeyrol, Ian Ollivier, Seunghyun Kang, Pietro Pagliaro, Danny Duong, Antoine Vacheron
FREAKS Team: Yves Pasquet, Cyril Gauthier, Guillaume Aubry, Bertrand Courtot, Axel Simon
Project Manager: LFA
Structural Engineer: MHI
Set Design: dUCKS
Museum Planning: Designers Unit
Cost Budget: MDETC
Acoustic Design: Peutz
Planning and Management: C2Bi
Location: Meisenthal, France
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