The new Aquitaine House of Creative Economy and Culture (MÉCA), a 18,000-square-meter building, has created an art space based on a frame structure to celebrate contemporary art, film, and performing arts. It provides Bordeaux with a public space that transitions from the coastal area to the new urban space. MÉCA is located between the Garonne River and the Saint-Jean train station, bringing together three regional arts institutions – FRAC Contemporary Art Museum, ALCA Theatre, Museum of Literature and Audiovisual Arts, and OARA Performing Arts Center. The three cultural institutions form a loop, further defining the city as a cultural center within UNESCO. The new cultural center and public space are built in the same loop as the three cultural institutions, while the extended sidewalk is a ramp to the city’s living room. On its facade, one can see the stage of the OARA Performing Arts Center and the offices in the ALCA building, as well as the roof and skylights of the FRAC Museum. Wide-ranging visitors can directly access the core of MÉCA, the 1,100-square-meter outdoor urban space, through a series of steps and ramps, creating a highly permeable cultural space for visitors and allowing them to wander freely between Quai de Paludate Street and the riverfront promenade. A 7-meter-high MÉCA sign illuminates the entire space under white LED lights, like a modern chandelier in the urban room. On special occasions, the outdoor space of MÉCA can be transformed into a stage for concerts and theatrical performances, and an extended gallery for sculpture exhibitions and other art installations. At the river entrance is a bronze half-figure sculpture by French artist Benoit Maire, which allows visitors to gain a deeper understanding of the local modern culture. Upon entering from the ground floor, visitors are greeted by the museum lobby, which features a spiral-shaped sunken space for visitors to relax and unwind. Visitors can also dine at Le CREM restaurant, which features red furniture and cork chairs designed by BIG Architects, referencing the city’s renowned wine production. A giant periscope next to the restaurant and elevator allows visitors to see the outdoor urban space, establishing a dialogue between interior and exterior. Still on the ground floor, ticketed visitors can enjoy performances in the 250-seat theatre of the OARA Performing Arts Center. The theatre is equipped with flexible seating, and the sound system is optimized through all-black checkerboard concrete panels, wood, and perforated metal plates. Upstairs, movie buffs can watch films in the 80-seat red cinema of ALCA, or visit the two production offices and project incubation area. The FRAC art museum is located on the upper floors, boasting a 7-meter-high exhibition space, artist studios, storage facilities, a 90-seat auditorium, and a café. A 850-square-meter public roof platform serves as a flexible extension of the exhibition space, allowing for large-scale art installations and performances. The platform also offers stunning views of the city and the Saint-Michael’s Cathedral. The façade of the MECA Cultural Center is almost entirely composed of 4,800 precast concrete panels, interspersed with windows of varying sizes to control the amount of light entering the interior and creating a sense of transparency. The 1.6-ton concrete panels, sandblasted to reveal their raw quality, have been surface textured to match the local sandstone of Bordeaux. It has become a bright and warm building under the sun, simultaneously integrating the MECA Cultural Center into the city’s layout as a new local landscape.
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