The design consortium consisted of BIG+FREAKS freearchitects, dUCKS scéno, Khephren Ingénierie, VPEAS, ALTO Ingénierie, Vincent Hedont, PBNL, Mryk & Moriceau, Ph.A.
The arts centre will be a 12,000 square metre facility which will accommodate three regional visual and performing arts agencies, namely the FRAC, the ECLA and the OARA. The project will be developed at the site of existing waterfront buildings. All the three agencies will occupy their own space and share the outdoor room, a restaurant and cafe.
The centre will open towards Bordeaux and the Garonne. The open space can be used for a performance stage, screening room, and a shared public space for residents to use. The buildings will be clad with stones, which will connect it with Bordeauxs architecture as most of the buildings of the city are clad in same materials. All of the exhibition and office spaces will bathe in abundant natural light.
The promenade of MÉCA rises to form the roof of the main lobbies and then rises vertically along the stage tower of OARA, bridges across the promenade with the sky lit galleries of the FRAC and then descend vertically to the ground at the archives of the ECLA. This reunites it with the waterfront promenade. During festivals or other special occasions in the city, the outside of the MÉCA can be transformed into a stage for outdoor concerts, theatrical spectacles or art installations.
The Regional Council of Bordeaux selected the winning team among proposals from SANAA, the Toulouse-based firm W-Architectures and Bordeaux-based FLINT.
