Sainte-Marthe Campus, Avignon
- The Sainte-Marthe protected site is prominently characterized by its 18th century hospital "Hotel Dieu" which is hooked to the city of Avignon's medieval walls. The competition program planned both the old building's rehabilitation as well as the construction of a new equipment facing it
- Refusing the idea of conceiving the latter as a simple annex to the historic edifice, our thoughts focused on drawing a balanced system, which two architectural part, old and new, are confronting each other on equal terms. A large garden-square is laid out between both buildings. The new edifice is organized around a circular hall crossed by a double stair. Straight on the Hotel Dieu axis, the hall constitutes the successful realization of a North/South route which runs from rue Saint-Bernard, through an old courtyard and the garden-square, to end at the new building. This series of public spaces establishes a real dialog between both edifices.
- In this perspective, the will to confer an institutional statue to the new building lead us to locate there most collective functions such as lecture theaters and restaurant, whereas the Hotel Dieu houses the research department as well as classrooms and administration.
