Cour du Dôme: contemporary multifunctional building embraces history

In the heart of the Saint Cyprien district, rich in important historical buildings, the multifunctional building Cour du Dôme houses collective housing, a hotel residence, and 7 shops. It fits into the urban fabric by opening towards the river and framing views of neighboring historical buildings with its typical city brick walls

Apartments, social housing, a residence, and shops

One of the architecture projects by the Taillandier Architectes Associés studio is the mixed-use building Cour du Dôme. The project involved the construction of 226 apartments of various sizes, ranging from two-room to five-room units, with 113 designated for social housing; within the Cour du Dôme there is also a 4-star hotel-residence and 7 commercial units. Located in the district on the left bank of the Garonne, the building interacts with the Slaughterhouse Museum and the monumental complex of the La Grave hospital with its iconic dome of the Saint-Joseph chapel

Exposed brick facades for creative integration

The architecture of the Cour du Dôme delicately fits into the historical context, occupying the void left by the relocation of the former Cancer Fighting Center of Toulouse; it does so by reopening perspectives previously obstructed towards the historic buildings of the neighborhood and towards the river for residents and passersby. Its facades are in exposed bricks with 3 shades chosen to complement the existing historical context; decorations and frames made of shaped or cut bricks create ethereal plays of dynamic shadows

Materiality, proportion, and relationship with the historical context

The upper part of the courtyard building is partly clad in aluminum and partly in light-toned precast concrete, brightening and lightening the impact of the architecture against the sky. The overall result, with the "controlled modernity" of the vibrant brick facades, is a subtle dialogue between history and contemporaneity based on the three fundamental principles of the project: materiality, proportion, and relationship with the historical context. The balance and delicacy of the construction are recognized with the Pyramide d'Argent Occitanie 2023 award in the "Heritage and Urban Quality" category

A new powerful and gentle building

The rhythm and solidity of the volumes of the Cour du Dôme is inspired by the compactness of the nearby ancient hospital; in the voids that the new architecture integrates within itself, the quality of living and the breadth of views take place, animating and revealing at the same time the facades and their thickness. Following the compositional tradition of La Grave, the new powerful and gentle building houses a large central courtyard that becomes a "landscaped space" cultivated with local species and over 50 trees

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Taillandier Architectes Associés - TAA

42 Rue de Cugnaux, 31300 Toulouse, France 8 Rue des Tanneries, 75013 Paris, France