2023-10-14 07:00:05
It is one of the oldest artists’ residences in the world still in operation. Atelier 11, located in Cité Falguière in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, is a survivor. He welcomed the greatest, Modigliani to Brancusi, via Gauguin, Soutine or Foujita but almost disappeared under the excavators and the division into apartments which raged in the 1960s, in the midst of urban renewal in the Montparnasse district.
However, 150 years later, this legendary place is very tired and needs to reinvent itself while benefiting from a profound rehabilitation. This is how the Heritage Foundation (through its Île-de-France delegation) as well as the Cité Falguière association and the AiR Arts association have developed a project to restore the facades and renovate the interior spaces of the place (see our slideshow). And to project this survival of the 19th century truly into the 21st century, a call for partnership is launched to structure the reception of the public but also of artists for an international art and research residency.
1.2 million euros of work
But initially, a call for donations was launched to complete the financing of the project. The interior and exterior work was costed at nearly 1.2 million euros, of which 105,000 euros have already been collected because the project was the 2022 winner of the Heritage Mission led by Stéphane Bern. On the occasion of the National Architecture Days, the place will be open to the public Saturday October 14 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.. The opportunity to discover the rehabilitation project developed by a transatlantic collective of architects formed by gh3* (Toronto, Canada) and TNT Architecture (Paris, France), with the advice of Studio Gang (USA/Paris), FREAKS (Paris, France) and Jean-Louis Martinot-Lagarde, heritage architect delegated by the Heritage Foundation. The opportunity also to relay the call for donations from the Heritage Foundation which intends to collect 150,000 euros for this projectechoing the 150 years of history of Atelier 11.
As the L’Air Arts and Cité Falguière associations point out, renovation is essential to ensure thermal insulation of the 19th century glass roofs while respecting their original design, to make the spaces more functional and finally to ensure a welcoming environment. public and artists in residence to current standards of comfort and safety. An objective which will be achieved by retaining as many original elements as possible: this will be the case of the main wooden frame as well as the overall design of the glass roofs, thanks to the use of metal profiles as thin as possible to preserve their “iconic look”, according to the architects. In addition, the main double-height space and the current three-level layout will also be retained.
Furthermore, since 2021, the AiR Arts association has organized a pilot program at Atelier 11 of what the future artist residency will be after the rehabilitation work. Nearly 70 contemporary artists and cultural professionals, French and international, have already participated. The experience will be extended by launching a call to allow cultural and academic institutions, local and international, as well as private individuals and corporate sponsors, to participate in this initiative.
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