FRAC NORD-PAS DE CALAIS_LACATON & VASSAL

Frac Nord-Pas de Calais, Dunkerque
Lacaton & Vassal
Dunkerque, France




Architects: LACATON & VASSAL (Anne Lacaton & Jean Philippe Vassal)
Collaborators: Florian de Pous, chief project, Camille Gravellier, Yuko Ohashi

Structure, Mechanical Systems: Secotrap 

Metal Structure: CESMA

Cost: Vincent Pourtau

Fire Security Consultant: Vulcanéo 

Acoustic: Gui Jourdan 

Thermal Studies: Cardonnel

Location: Dunkerque, France
Year: 2013
Type: culture
Status: built
Surface / Size: 11 129 m2 : 9 157 m2 new building, 1 972 m2 existing halle
Client: Communauté Urbaine de Dunkerque
Cost: 12 M€ HT/net (2011)









The FRAC houses regionally assembled public collections of contemporary art.
These collections are conserved, archived and presented to the public through on site exhibitions and by loans to both galleries and museums.


The North region FRAC is located on the site of Dunkerque port in an old boat warehouse called Halle AP2. 
The halle AP2 is a singular and symbolic object. Its internal volume is immense, bright, impressive. Its potential for uses is exceptional.


To implant the FRAC, as a catalyst for the new area, and also to keep the halle in its entirety becomes the basic idea of our project.


To achieve this concept, the project creates a double of the halle, of the same dimension, attached to the existing building, on the side which faces the sea, and which contains the program of the FRAC. 
The new building juxtaposes delicately without competing nor fading. The duplication is the attentive response to the identity of the halle;

Under a light and bioclimatic envelope, a prefabricated and efficient structure determines free, flexible and evolutionary platforms, with few constraints, fit to the needs of the program. 
The transparency of the skin allows to see the background vision of the opaque volume of the artworks reserves.
The public footbridge (previously planned along the facade) which crosses the building becomes a covered street entering the halle and the internal facade of the FRAC.
The halle AP2 will remain a completely available space, which can work either with the FRAC, in extension of its activities, (exceptional temporary exhibitions, creation of large scale works, particular handlings) or independently to welcome public events (concert, fairs, shows, circus, sport) and which enriches the possibilities of the area.
The functioning of each of the buildings is separated, or combined.


The architecture of the halle and its current quality make sufficient minimal, targeted and limited interventions. Thanks to the optimization of the project, the budget allows the realisation of the FRAC and the setting up of conditions and equipment for public use of the halle AP2.


The project so creates an ambitious public resource, of flexible capacity, which allows work at several scales from everyday exhibitions to large-scale artistic events, of regional but also european and international resonance, which consolidates the redevelopment of the port of dunkerque.

web LACATON & VASSAL: http://www.lacatonvassal.com/