Sarlat-la-Canéda

The media library and music school are built against an ochre cliff, which gives them unique character.

The aim here was to place a modern construction in one of Europe's most beautiful medieval towns, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and characterised by the golden hue of its maze of quaint alleyways with old townhouses.

So, it was up to us to offer a major, unique, lasting work of architecture without spoiling the identity of Sarlat-la-Canéda, the capital of France’s Périgord Noir area. For this reason, we worked closely with a member of France’s elite group of state-accredited heritage architects. This partnership helped us integrate the site’s wealth of heritage.

A century-old foie gras factory used to stand on the site. We decided to keep one of its stone walls. It now marks the back of the media library and runs alongside the street Rue Jean-Baptiste Delpeyrat, which owes its name to the namesake company founded in 1890 and whose premises had been disused for over 30 years. We made this decision as part of an approach based on respect for the site’s environment and on a focus on local know-how and local materiality.

Indeed, we paid special attention to working with materials so that the project could truly blend into its site, becoming one with it. The fragmentation of the media library’s elevations mirrors the historical heart of the town. The hue of the building and the texture of its elevations recall the old stone walls that shape the town.

The media library and music school are linked together by an inner court. On the south side, they benefit from a vast, open-sided courtyard that gazes out at the natural backdrop and could be used for all kinds of open-air events. By creating a certain distance between the two buildings, we made it possible for the town to draw inspiration from it. The space created in this way reveals trees that look down at the construction and showcases the site’s remarkable natural topography.

The music school is housed in the old foie gras factory’s former administrative building – a fine upper-middle-class house through which a public entrance area runs, connecting to the vast, open-sided courtyard and forming an opening in the town. Indeed, we decided to preserve this historical edifice and redevelop it to protect all we could of this built heritage with its undeniable charm.

We adopted an approach based on reuse and local supplies. Two materials were salvaged on site: rubble, used to renovate the media library's existing facade, and stones, brought together and pressed against insulating panels to leave their imprint in artisanal formwork that was then used as a mould for the poured concrete of the new elevation. This concrete was made from materials sourced from nearby quarries.

The stone and the natural park that edge the site prompted us to build the media library against the cliff face so that it could benefit from the passive resistance of the imposing mass of rock. So, the geometric distortions of the building plan are based on the site’s main topographical features. Indeed, we even invited the rock face to enter the media library, digging out a reading cave from it. The presence of the natural rock inside the library brings a pleasant level of humidity and thermal comfort inside.

The rock rests upon a structure of reinforced concrete with ad hoc and linear load-bearing supports. The structure’s elevations and floors play a key role in keeping it stable. Load-bearing walls, sometimes corbelled, follow the proven principles of reinforced concrete and showcase a space you can contemplate without obstacles.

Sarlat ochre gives colour to the reading spaces that extend with a generous double height to capture natural light in many ways. Through the high windows and glazing, you can see the trees that crown the cliff, but also parts of the old town and blue sky. The staff patio on the first floor looks down at the ground-floor hallway through glazing that spreads light into the reading spaces. The considerable ceiling height and stratification of the air ensure optimal comfort in the summer.

You can reach a sun-kissed public terrace up on the first floor from the inner court or the staff rooms. This terrace looks out at the town and offers large seats where you can enjoy a meditative break from everyday life.

The open plan of the media library and its inner court, terrace and vast open-sided court make this new complex a place that is resolutely focussed on the local inhabitants and that invites you to enjoy meet-ups here. The site helps share culture with everyone. It is a refuge where you can contribute to an appealing world centred on discovery and sharing.