Le Magasin Électrique
For three years, this former industrial building, renovated and inaugurated in the spring of 2023, has been the scene of a large-scale, experimental worksite with the vocation of being a leading figure in the field of renovation.
For three years, this former industrial building, renovated and inaugurated in the spring of 2023, has been the scene of a large-scale, experimental worksite with the vocation of being a leading figure in the field of renovation.
Led by Atelier LUMA in collaboration with BC architects & studies and Assemble, the renovation site was the occasion to implement Lot 8, a long-term research project for a bioregional architecture, guided by principles of locality and sustainability. The construction site, a true large-scale prototype, brought together many local partners and was the occasion for collective workshops and training sessions on the materials and techniques developed.
Le Magasin Électrique is built and equipped with the results of Atelier LUMA’s research, from the coating of the façade to the socket covers. Structural elements such as walls and partitions were produced from waste earth and minerals, and agricultural coproducts. The acoustics and the finishing of the interiors were done with panels of sunflower fibers, rice straw, and soil from the bioregion. The terrazzo floor, bathroom tiles, stains, door handles, and light fixtures are the result of years of research into algae, salt, bioplastics, earth, and enamels in collaboration with local partners.
Le Magasin Électrique, designed by and for Atelier LUMA, is the teams’ workplace. A research and prototyping space that consists of a biolab, wood, ceramics, textile and DTP workshops, office spaces, a dye house, a materials testing lab, and a functional plant garden. The Agora, a large central space in the building, hosts temporary exhibitions and events open to the public.
The building obtained the Mediterranean Sustainable Buildings in Design Phase god label.
The BDM approach accompanies and evaluates the environmental, social, and economic aspects of a project from its design to its use. The BDM gold label obtained by the Magasin Électrique in its design phase will become definitive after two years of operation, if it meets the objectives validated during the design phase. This approach is supported by the EnvirobatBDM association, which promotes the generalization of sustainable development in the act of building, rehabilitating, and developing in the PACA region.
GUIDED TOUR
The visit "Design and Innovation in the Arles-Camargue Bioregion" offers an opportunity to discover the work of the design laboratory Atelier LUMA and to visit the agora of the Magasin Électrique.