Centre national des arts du cirque

photo by Christophe Manquillet

The Centre national des arts du cirque (Cnac), based in Châlons-en-Champagne since 1985, is concentrated on the historic 19th century circus site. The French government and local authorities have undertaken an overall renovation and extension project so the cnac can expand its activities. In July 2006, the French government purchased a parcel (land and existig buildings) that the La Marnaise Agricultural Cooperative (roughly 20,000 sqm) was force to sell due to security concerns – the grain silos were located too close to a very busy road. Following a project management competition launched in late 2010, the project was awarded to Marseille-based firm Caractère Spécial § Matthieu Poitevin architecture, in partnership with NP2F architectes.
The architects chose not to demolish anything, and instead to renovate the existing buildings, leaving the open areas for the fairground activities traditionally associated with the circus. This involves a creation of a new building, the “school building” as well as a 13-unit student housing building, the renovation of the existing silos and the reuse of the existing roads and exterior fittings. In order to affirm their presence and their role within the town, the school building and housing are fitted into previously empty spaces. The location and design of these volumes forms an extension of the existing buildings, recreating a façade along the site, aligned with the northern hangar. The programme of the circus school should foster interactions on a general level, and more specifically between the different site users: technicians, administrative staff and students. The compact school building is organised around three areas: the administration-teachers zone, the music, theatre, dance classrooms area and other spaces dedicated to students, sauna, dressing rooms. In order to successfully integrate and visually unify all the Cnac buildings with the existing ones, the façades of the school building and housing are made of natural coloured Eternit-type fibre cement, with caisson rafters supporting undulating plaques of fibre cement. Rather than defining itself in opposition to the existing buildings, the project extends them, echoing their materials and forms. Eternit was chosen to restore the reputation of a cheap material. The frame, with its archaic beauty, was designed in a studio and prefabricated on site, so all the elements can be reused. The concrete assemblies were designed as monolithic blocks, with no other materials visible, thanks to saddles hidden inside the concrete elements. The concrete frame supports the structure, leaving its full volume open. No maintenance will be required.

“The circus is an invitation to travel , to escape, to imagine; place of poetry, crossing boundaries and magic. A circus school is a school of life. A canal, a grey sky , bird sounds, an ancient farm hangar: the CNAC site has the raw beautiness due to the uses and passage of time . This atmosphere is not in contrast rather a perfect setting to host a circus school... A circus show never finish, it has no limits.” Matthieu Poitevin

Technical information

Programme: Extension of the Centre national des arts du cirque (CNAC) and construction of 13 student housing
Surface area: 3 500 sqm net floor area (5 500 m. total area)
Cost: 5,1 M€ HT
Delivery: june 2015
Architects: Caractère Spécial § Matthieu Poitevin Architecture and NP2F architectes (associated architect)
Project managers: Marc Kauffmann and Nicolas Guérin Structural
Engineering: DVVD Fluids/EQ
Engineering: Elithis
Construction economics: VPEAS
Lighting design: Lumières studio
Scenography: Ducks sceno
Acoustics: Orfea