Description

Montauban lies on a river in southwest France, north of Toulouse. In the Middle Ages, a planned town was constructed high on a hill overlooking the area and the river crossing. In 1930, the river Tarn overflowed its banks so heftily (+11.45 metres) that everything close to the watercourse was destroyed. Since then, urban development has shifted further eastwards and several satellite towns have been built, including the district of Chaumes. In 2005 an architecture competition was announced for a media and cultural centre. To alter the mix of residents, luxury flats were also planned. The Département Tarn-et-Garonne is one of the four most highly developed in France, and, as a result of a continued influx of new residents, the city is expected to exceed 100,000 inhabitants by 2040 at the latest.
The Paris-based architectural firm CFA Colboc Franzen & Associés won the competition a year after having set up office, and the building with around 3,000 square metres of floor space was inaugurated in 2013. The result is a freestanding building that is brick-coloured – in keeping with the regional architectural style – and has a lot of glass. As a flagship building for the district, it signals its presence. The building cleverly narrows the street space and shields the housing estate from traffic.
When you enter the “Médiathèque de Montauban”, or “Mémo” for short, the design concept and construction principle becomes immediately apparent. Arranged around a round concrete staircase and lift tower are three cuboid shapes with projecting triangles, slightly rotated on each floor about one and the same axis so that it aligns with the street space. This creates a tension that is made tangible inside through horizontal and vertical vistas. The ground floor is a precast concrete structure that serves as the foundation for the overlying steel beams.
The building contains an auditorium with 160 seats, a café on the ground floor and a reading room on the first floor – all large, multifunctional spaces. Depending on the area one is in, the materials and colours are different: wood, plastic, concrete in garish, neutral or muted colours. Despite the great depth of the spaces, there is always sufficient daylight and interesting views to see in all directions.

Originally published in Bauwelt  41-42.2013, pp. 32-35, abridged and edited for Building Types online, translated by Julian Reisenberger

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