Location: Orléans, France.

Architect: Jakob + MacFarlane Architects.

The FRAC Centre is a model for the diffusion of contemporary art and regional presence, resulting from the cultural decentralisation in the 1980s. It is a collection, laboratory, resource, and centre for research, as well as a site for experimentation. The Turbulences – FRAC Centre is a perpetually evolving model that offers another experience of art and architecture. Its unique collection brings together contemporary art and experimental architecture from the 1950s to today. The FRAC Centre is one of a ‘new generation’ of FRAC institutions that have already proved themselves as centres of cultural appeal. The objective is to engage dialogue between disciplines at the heart of new equipment. The FRAC Centre is located at the former Subsistances militaires site in Orléans. The Turbulences, an extension of the FRAC Centre, is a strong physical presence that conceptualizes dynamic architecture. The FRAC Centre will have new features within its 3,000 m2, including a permanent gallery, temporary exhibition rooms, a pedagogical workshop, a documentation centre, a garden, and a public reception area. The FRAC Centre, a research laboratory for architecture, will provide a valuable tool for developing a transdisciplinary cultural programme centred on relationships between art, architecture and design.

Photo credit: Jakob+MacFarlane – N. Borel.