The Agency Giboire Morbihan renovation project by French architecture firm a/LTa architects involves the heavy restructuring of a corner building located at the junction of rue Thiers and rue Carnot in the heart of the historic center of the city of Vannes. Vannes is a walled town in the Brittany region of northwest France.
Backed by the city walls dating from the 4th century and close to the port, the project’s location is stunning.
The existing building was a bank and the renovation project aimed to set up a new commercial office building and real estate development agency for Groupe Giboire.
Before the renovation project
The original structure of the building has been preserved, except for the attic which has been given a new style.
The first floor “catches up” with an alignment on the street, large openings are created to allow the reading of the ramparts located in the court. It is clad with a stainless steel cladding that is also found on the attic.
The original configuration in angle (providing a real response to the articulation of the two streets), and the complexity of the structure of the existing facade, the bias was to choose the sobriety and finesse of the materiality. For this reason, the mineral facade was highlighted by a second curved glass skin located at the two intermediate levels.
The combination of glass and stainless steel envelops the building and delicately slides it into the historic heart of the city. The redesigned glass facade plays with the reflections of the city as well as those of the sky, which vary according to the time of day.
Glass facade construction detail
The glass panels, which make up this pleated structure, are supported by stainless steel rails. An anodized aluminum frame allows the natural ventilation of this double skin. The upper part of this frame, which constitutes the acroterion, is made up of removable panels which make its maintenance possible.
The interior design was guided by the idea of transparency and luminosity.
The attic of the new Agency Giboire Morbihan building hosts a large meeting room that gives access to a terrace with a view on the city of Vannes and its port.
Photography: Stephane Chalmeau
Old building and construction photos by a/LTa architects
