Cristallisation

This project was made at the 2010 Festival of Living Architecture in Montpellier, France and deals with the theme of "Shadow and Light." Each year, the Festival creates an architectural tour of the historical city centre by opening up heritage sites to contemporary architecture.

With pushing a door and entering an unknown place, light takes shape playing with all its nuances to develop a gradual transition from a dark space, where one perceives nothing to an irradiated courtyard where all is revealed.

This interaction between light and matter is made possible thanks to the different properties of the twin-walled polycarbonate. Upon entering, the opal appearance of the polycarbonate structure, diffusing light like a crystal, catches the attention of passers-by without immediately giving away the richness of the existing architecture.

Gradually, the building is revealed through the transparency and composition of the polycarbonate. Finally, with a subtle play of reflections, like a mirror, the twin-walled polycarbonate structure offers a poetic and abstract view on the architecture of this courtyard.