Folded tiles of perforated metal envelop this dance school in Paris by Lankry Architectes, creating a pattern of triangular facets (+ slideshow).
Dance School Aurélie Dupont fits into the narrow slot between a supermarket and a four-storey apartment building in Joinville-le-Pont, a suburb in the southeast of the city.
West Paris-based Lankry Architectes set the dance school slightly back from the busy street, breaking the continuous facade and creating a small forecourt in front of the building.
Each of the square aluminium panels is folded on the diagonal to create the three-dimension pattern across each of the building's four walls.
X-shaped perforations in the golden-toned cladding allow light to filter into the dance studios while restricting views from the street.
Lankry Architectes describes the form as a "monumental Minimalist sculpture".
"The dance school is inserted as an unusual object, capable of arousing perplexity and curiosity of the passersby," said the team.
"Consisting of a perforated metal veil forming a regular diamond pattern, the envelope is designed as delicate lace, a goldsmith's work," it added. "It functions as a filter, rather like a mashrabiya that filters light without altering views."
The 895-square-metre school cost €2.4 million (£1.76 million) to complete and is named after the French ballerina Aurélie Dupont, who retired in 2015 after 32 years at the Paris Opera. It hosts a range of ballet, classical and jazz classes.
Hallways and staircases are positioned in the southern part of the building, freeing up the north side for spacious and naturally lit dance studios.
"By strictly dividing the program between circulation on the avenue side, and the functional spaces and the garden areas on the interior, the school on the one hand optimises the flow and circulation and on the other hand the solar orientations," said the architects.
Mirror-covered walls help to create to the illusion of space, while drapes help to soften the glossed concrete walls and metal fittings. Bright yellow and orange doors add accents of colour to the otherwise grey surfaces.
"Minimalist interiors and raw materials such as varnished concrete, metal, contrasts with the precision of the outer shell of the building," said the team.
Photography is by Julien Lanoo.
Project credits:
Architect: Lankry Architectes
Contractor: City of Joinville-le-Pont
Engineer consultant: MTC ingénierie, Alternative ingénierie acoustique
