Hotel-Dieu
Le Puy-en-Velay, France
MUNICIPALITY OF PUY-EN-VELAY
Architect and interior designer: WILMOTTE & ASSOCIES
Associate architect: VINCENT BESANÇON et DAVID FARGETTE
COMPANY: MERLE (VINCI GROUP)
Engineer: IOSIS RHÔNE-ALPES
5 200 sqm (Hotel-Dieu)
700 sqm (museography)
2013
Rehabilitation, restructuring and interior fitting out of the former General Hospital for the installation of Architecture and Heritage Interpretation Centre of the Puy-en-Velay Art and History Country as well as the Centre for reflection on spirituality.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Hotel-Dieu du Puy-en-Velay, which adjoins the episcopal city, has been entirely renovated to house an interactive museum, temporary exhibitions, an auditorium and a café-restaurant.
Located in an intensely frequented and visited area, the Hotel-Dieu contributes to the revitalisation of the upper town of Le Puy-en-Velay. The rehabilitation of the building was carried out in compliance with archaeological, architectural and landscape constraints. After restoration, the Hotel-Dieu, which consisted of four main buildings arranged in a U-shape, comprises several entities that function together in parallel or independently. The project made it possible to highlight the architectural quality of the site and to create very large exhibition rooms, in double height. The different lighting possibilities of these rooms offer a great deal of freedom in terms of scenography.
The Hotel-Dieu has become a museum, an educational centre and a conference centre dedicated to architecture, heritage and spirituality, in a modernised version.
We have taken over all the existing accesses, without making any new openings but favouring the direct link with the cathedral.
Jean-Michel Wilmotte
architect
