The Claustra - A Cistercian Abbey
Why the square shape?
"God is fourfold," St. Bernard said, "he is length, height, breadth and depth."
A pure form is deposited in a dense nature, barely touched by the hand of man. The square plan of the abbey organizes the site into four thematic zones: to the north, the public zone for visitors and guests; to the east, the sacred zone connected to the memorial; to the south, the relaxation zone attached to the monks' garden; and to the west, the utilitarian zone including the service access. From the parking lot, visitors are guided by a walkway that leads them through the trees to the abbey. On the scale of the site, the forest takes the form of a large garden in movement where the interventions will guide its evolution towards the climax and sculpt the landscape in order to reveal its present and future richness.
The claustra inserted in the forest delimits the space of solitude of the monks. Like a filtering membrane, it manages by osmosis the exchanges with the outside world (light, views, noises). Through a play of reflections and absorptions on its silk-screened glass and wood walls, the claustra fades and reveals itself through the forest, creating an effect of integration with the landscape. The spaces are organized around a double circulation loop. The first, around the cloister, is interiorized and contemplative. The second, around the library, is exteriorized and meditative.
The spatial organization of the gardens, via the volumetry of the abbey, evokes a play of full and empty spaces reminiscent of the typical morphology of a town. The high and luminous volumes of the church and the cells are placed on a green roof that acts as a clearing suspended in the middle of the forest. The clearing is accessible by a ramp that is part of the double loop that culminates with the belvedere above the library.
Wood, an ecological material, will be used extensively. In the summer, the green roof will reduce heat accumulation in the building. Rainwater will be collected through the roof and stored for domestic use. Geothermal energy is considered as a source of energy recovery.
By its sober and luminous character, the abbey inspires a serenity conducive to the deepening of the Cistercian life.
(From competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
The jury appreciated the quality of the light work in the church as well as the differentiation of the formal spaces (four large blocks making up the abbey). It also underlined the great success in terms of sustainable development; the project responds well to the environmental objectives set out in the programming. The concern for natural lighting was also appreciated.
The contemporary and pure vocabulary of the project was also highlighted. The beauty of certain rooms, notably the library and the refectory, was highlighted. The various garden possibilities offered by the form of the building were appreciated. The jury felt that there is a nice interplay of interiority and exteriority in the building that offers a scale that fits well with the size of the community.
However, the jury considered that the project has a museum-like quality that can seem a bit cold as a living environment. The cloister treatment gives it a cold appearance, the cell wing has an institutional character, and the morphology of the project gives it a rather urban appearance (clerestory and storefront).
We questioned the modulation of the plan, the treatment of the facades and the cloister as well as the complexity of the circulations which seemed to contradict the simplicity of the project. The implementation of the wall up to the roof separating the hotel and the monastic enclosure fuelled several discussions: it was seen as a possibility for introspective contemplation and exterior contemplation in the environment, but also as an intervention that could lead to other functional problems.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
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