Maisons Duc

Arc-Award, Le prix suisse d'architecture, 2018 ; Hochparterre „Die Besten 2018“, mention, 2018

The three houses, called “Maisons Duc”, are protected by national heritage, as their façades belong to the listed ensemble of the “Grand-Rue”, a main street of medieval origin. The rear part of the houses was of no historic importance and structurally not sound. The project consists of partial demolition, new construction and renovation. It connects the houses to host an art gallery on the ground floor, artist studios on the first floor and three apartments on the upper floors. The project develops the spatial principle found in situ: an enfilade similarly sized of rooms. This common denominator allows the coexistence of the old and the new. Better, it aims to form a coherent whole, rich in different historical strata. The evolution of this spatial organism today incorporates some changes: some rooms unfold themselves vertically to double height, bringing sunlight into the core of the building or linking different programmes on different levels. Others find their original proportions by removing formerly added partitions.

Programme
Art gallery, studios, housing
Location
Saint-Maurice, VS
Year
Competition 1st prize 2013, construction 2016-2018
Client
Municipality of Saint-Maurice
Procedure
Competition
Photography
Eik Frenzel, Séverine Rouiller, Robert Świerczyński, GayMenzel
Awards
  • Distinction Romande d’Architecture 5, 2023
  • Arc-Award, Le prix suisse d'architecture, 2018
  • Hochparterre „Die Besten 2018“, mention, 2018
Publications
  • Marc Frochaux, « A jamais inachevées », Culture du bâti: qualité et critique, Espazium, 2021 / 2022
  • Francesca Chiorino, « Edifici per la comunità », Casabella conituità, no. 916, 12/2020
  • Héloïse Gailing, « La juste mesure du temps et de l'espace », Construction & Bâtiment, 02/2020
  • Heide Wessely, « Geschichte in Schichten », Detail, 9-2019
  • Philippe Meyer, « Les stigmates de l'invisible », Faces, Nr. 75, 2019
  • Daniel Kurz, « Über Kreuz verflochten », Werk, Bauen + Wohnen, 1 – 2 / 2019
  • Re: Swiss - Emerging Architects Under 45 in Switzerland, A+U, Nr. 580, 1– 2019
  • Oscar Gential, « Maison Duc - narrations critiques d'une architecture », Archistorm, Nr. 94, 1 / 2 2019, 612 - le cahier suisse
  • Werner Huber, « Verzahnt », Hochparterre, 12 – 2018
  • Emilie Veillon, « A Saint-Maurice, quatre maisons pour l'art », Le Temps, 7.11.2018