Arjuzanx Natural Reserve / Inca Architectes + ALEP Landscape

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Arjuzanx, France
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  780
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2015
  • Photographs
    Photographs:Nicolas Castets
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  RAICO, ROLPIN, Soprema
  • Architect In Charge: Gilles Marty
  • Client : Syndicat Mixte de Gestion Milieux Naturels
  • Landscape : Emmanuel Guillemet
  • Engineer : TPFI ingénierie
  • Economy: BM Forgue
  • Naturalist : François Macquart Moulin
  • Scenography: Maskarade
  • City: Arjuzanx
  • Country: France
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Arjuzanx Natural Reserve / Inca Architectes + ALEP Landscape - Image 6 of 20
© Nicolas Castets

Text description provided by the architects. In the heart of the Landes region (along the French South-west coast), the listed bird sanctuary of Arjuzanx streches on 2 000 hectares. It was born from the renovation by the French electricity supplier (EDF) of a former lignite mine which is today filled up by a lake, birthplace of numerous migrating grey cranes.

Arjuzanx Natural Reserve / Inca Architectes + ALEP Landscape - Image 4 of 20
© Nicolas Castets

A line in the landscape
At the scale of site, the new building inserts logically in the landscape. The site house is situated along a major landscape axis that connects the two shores of the lake, and structures the entire development project. It draws a visual perspective, highlighted by the large dynamic awning of the building.

Arjuzanx Natural Reserve / Inca Architectes + ALEP Landscape - Image 12 of 20
© Nicolas Castets

Invitation to travel
How to give meaning to the architecture according to the history of the place? Here, the idea of a journey through time is preponderant. This concept translates into space: the exhibition gallery is designed as a preparation for travel. The Water Pavilion is a small boat dock, almost in motion. And the boat carries us through the lake to discover the landscape of the site as it was several millions years ago, when lignite was formed.

Arjuzanx Natural Reserve / Inca Architectes + ALEP Landscape - Image 2 of 20
© Nicolas Castets

A Discovery Center
We designed a very open architecture on the site. It is not a classical interpretation center, but a "discovery center". Unlike a museum, it doesn’t aim at capturing the public within an exhibition, but, paradoxically, at inviting visitors to get out and discover the whole site and surroundings.

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Evocation of flight
In Arjuzanx, the landscape is very horizontal. It is characterized by changes in atmosphere, variations in brightness and the presence of cranes. It was not necessary to create visual barriers but rather to reinforce these aerial effects. Hence the idea of a building which is born "from above" and rests delicately on the ground, expressed by the lightness of the roofs.

Arjuzanx Natural Reserve / Inca Architectes + ALEP Landscape - Image 3 of 20
© Nicolas Castets

The spirit of a house
As in all our site projects, we want people to feel at home. All spaces are designed and arranged in this sense, as if we were entering a house. Great attention is paid to the atmospheres: light, shadows, orientations, framing, protection to the prevailing winds. Materials are inspired or derived from nature. Everything is done to give the feeling of a place both welcoming and opened to nature and landscape.

Arjuzanx Natural Reserve / Inca Architectes + ALEP Landscape - Image 10 of 20
© Nicolas Castets

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Project location

Address:40110 Arjuzanx, France

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Arjuzanx Natural Reserve / Inca Architectes + ALEP Landscape" 21 Mar 2017. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/867368/arjuzanx-natural-reserve-inca-architects-plus-alep-landscape> ISSN 0719-8884

© Nicolas Castets

Arjuzan自然保护区 / INCA Architects + ALEP Landscape

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