Projects / Culture

Projects / Culture

Villa Carmélie: Music and Dance Centre

Saint-Brieuc

Transformation of a 1950s Carmelite convent
into a Music and Dance Centre

Project owner
Ville de Saint-Brieuc
Project manager
Deshoulières Jeanneau Architectes
Project management team
Thierry Guignard (stage designer), TRACES (landscape architects), Daniel Commins (sound engineering),
Image credits
Brice Desrez
Location
Saint-Brieuc (22), France
Programme
Transformation of a 1950s Carmelite convent into a Music and Dance Centre
Surface area
3.293 m2
Cost of the works
8,7 M€ pre-tax
Status
Delivered
Schedule
2006 – 2010

Inaugurated in 1936 and expanded in the 1960s, this former Carmelite convent was bought by the City of Saint-Brieuc in 2005 after the last nuns had left. In addition to preserving its modern heritage, the city wanted to relocate its music, dance, and theatre centre to provide its roughly 900 users with better conditions.

The wall that had separated the Carmelites from the city for 70 years was taken down to open up the space and foster more interaction. The garden remains protected by a stone wall, creating a sense of privacy. A series of copper-clad volumes hosting the large rehearsal spaces constitute a contemporary intervention that is very visible, but which does not clash with the Gouédic granite of the historical walls.

The historical features, such as the cloister, have been restored to preserve the site’s original vocation and provide the centre’s users with unusual spaces.

The centre houses five rehearsal spaces, three of which are for performances (orchestra, chorus, and dance), a centre for community organisations and trainings, and a musical and dance resource centre (fifteen teaching rooms and two rehearsal spaces).

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