Le Chapeau Rouge Shopping Centre, Quimper, France

The Chapeau Rouge shopping centre is located in the heart of a historic neighbourhood characterised by narrow plots of land and low-rise granite buildings, so it was essential that it blend into its surroundings. Our project offers a sensitive and ingenious response to this challenge. It is centred on the pedestrian through-street, which provides a much-needed link between the rue de la Providence and the rue du Chapeau Rouge. The shopping centre is made up of small shops on a scale which suits the town and the personality of the newly recreated historic street. The retail centre strengthens the character of the neighbourhood by re-interpreting its traditional timber frame building methods. But here there are no mere facades: the building is resolutely modern with glass and slate shells and metal grilles used as sun protectors, and the corbel arches of its façade offer discreet protection from the weather all along the street.

Architecture award of Brittany 2012

Team

Director

Mark Wilson

Project leader

Inès Noblin, Loïc Rion

Team

Benoît Clavieras, Jean Cataix, Perrine Alexandre, Henri Guillaud-Beauregard