Location: Montpellier, France.

Architect: PCA-STREAM.

The Hotel des Collections is a unique space in the heart of Montpellier, located within the Hotel Montcalm. Originally a military headquarters, the building was acquired by the municipality and was intended to be a museum on the history of France in Algeria. However, the project was halted in 2014 by the newly elected mayor, Philippe Saurel, who wanted to give the space a new direction. The MOCO project was then created, with the aim of using contemporary art as a means of attracting visitors to Montpellier and positioning the city as an international destination for creativity. The MOCO ecosystem combines three spaces: an educational space, an experimental and exhibition space for emerging artists, and a museum space dedicated to hosting public and private collections without a permanent collection of its own. The architecture firm PCA-STREAM was chosen to design the Hotel des Collections, with a focus on creating a frugal and economical space that recycles previous work, while also providing a restaurant and terrace for visitors to enjoy. The project also aims to produce several artists using the budget for the construction. Overall, the Hotel des Collections is a unique space that combines art, education, and experimentation, and is helping to position Montpellier as a hub for contemporary creativity.

Photo credit: Salem Mostefaoui.