Project Development and Management

FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais

Between Philosophy and Economy?

Muresan Anca-Maria

Erasmus student, Romania

Coordinator Wim Wambecq

2

Figure 1. AP2 (conseildesages.free.fr)

Abstract

As the cities are trying to regain their connection to the sea, the remaining bits of the ports are being

rethought and gradually integrated into the planning scheme. The same happened in Dunkerque, a port

in France, at the North Sea. Trying to revitalize the area and making it more appealing to both tourists

and cultural events, the idea of an industrial building turned into a museum came up. Eventually a great

critical success, the FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais was refreshed by a famous team Lacaton & Vassal that

took the competition to another level, leaving architectural critics around the world stunned at its inner

force and deep meaning. While expecting its visitors, arts and especially experimental arts lovers, one

might wonder: Was this 11129 sqm building really necessary in a 70000 inhabitants city?

Introduction

The museum was built to guard (exhibit, conserve, archive) the

Frac Nord-Pas de Calais collection of approximately 1500 works of

contemporary art belonging to both local and international artists.

The general idea of Frac (Fonds rgionaux dart contemporain) is to

gather art works into a comprehensive collection and then diffuse

it through both museums belonging to the group and nomadic

presentations, using peculiar broadcasting and educating tools1 in

order to move people. Established during Franois Mitterands

term of office, this initiative, along with his so-called Grands

Projets tells us something about the French political involvement

in culture and arts. This will make a point further in the paper.

History

Opened in 1949 as the Chantiers de France, the building to be transformed served as a shipbuilder,

dispatching all manner of great vessels until 1988.2 Its imposing silhouette against the sky and its vertical

rhythms on the facades have earned it the local name of The Cathedral (fig.1), playing an important

structuring role of the territory, as it kept alive the economical mechanisms. After its closing, it not only

left a profound social injury, but also a deep urban scar3.

1 Frac Platform - http://www.frac-platform.com/en/les-frac

2 Wright, Herbert Two of a kind, Blue Print 332, Jan/Feb 2014, p.193

3 Larchitecture du FRAC Nord Pas de Calais. Dossier pdagogique, p.8

3

Figure 2. 1991 Richard Rogers Masterplan (www.richardrogers.co.uk)

Context

Accordingly, the choice of the site is not arbitrary and the

function of the building is meant to consolidate the

redevelopment of the Port of Dunkirk, probably also inspired by

the global tendency to preserve industrial wasteland, especially

if it has esthetic potential and emotional value.

The urban redevelopment began in 1989 with the launch of the

Neptune Project initiated by the Dunkirk Urban Community and

meant to limit suburbanization trend, and to re-orient the city

growth towards the inner docks. In 1991, the S3D (Socit de

Dvloppement de Dunkerque) gives the go-ahead to the

Richard Rogers masterplan.4(fig.2)

The plan, a comprehensive one, links the derelict industrial site to the city center by an armature of routes, streets and public spaces, *+ restoring this citadel island as an integral and dynamic part of the city. 5 Further in the development, in 2005, the Michelin offices design the Grand Large housing buildings, a new neighborhood based on ecological principles and social and generational mix, so the architectural project of Lacaton & Vassal comes as an urban extension to it.6 The connection to the other side will be made, in the near future, by a bridge that will also cross the museum, making it part of the city. Besides the urban context that is beginning to take shape, the political one was very favorable, with the veteran socialist mayor and member of the Senate of France, Michel Delebarre, being also the founding president of the Frac Nord-Pas de Calais. So it is easy to assume that the project highly benefited of this mans personal ambition to establish this institution in a small city with no previous history of contemporary art engagement, representing one of the braver campaigns in Frances crusade to disseminate culture across its regions.7 With this acknowledgement, we are beginning to crack the answer to our initial question Was this investment truly necessary?

4 Barelier, Laurent Dunkirk: A Green Alternative to Suburbanization, DAC&Cities, 19.04.2011

5 Richard Rogers site - http://www.richardrogers.co.uk/work/all_projects/dunkirk_masterplan

6 Larchitecture du FRAC Nord Pas de Calais. Dossier pdagogique, p.8

7 Woodman, Ellis Frac Nord-Pas de Calais, Dunkirk, by Lacaton & Vassal, Building Design, 27.11.2014

4

Figure 3. Interior space of Frac Nord-Pas de Calais (Philippe Ruault)

Concept

Architectonic twin8, Two of a kind9, Deux halles nes sous le signe des Gmeaux10 (Two halls born under

the sign of Gemini), these are the names given by publications to the Frac Nord-Pas de Calais building.

But what is its story?

Competition brief: to take the vast deserted shell of a ship-repair facility called AP2 and make a new art

centre.11

Unlike the other four finalists, Lacaton & Vassal thought of a way to save the initial building, as Anne

Lacaton said in her own words:Its a pity to sacrifice the volume12. By challenging the brief, they also

helped with the decision-making (one that saved AP2 from being crowded with different volumes).

Although risky, it was definitely worth it. The project is one of those where you can really feel the

protective hand of the architect, however you look at it, as we will also see in the next surprising

decisions related to cost efficiency and ecological considerations.

The firm decided to undertake a light-touch refurbishment of the structure13, their project costing,

shockingly, 1 mil. below the budget. This throws another light on the usual bargaining between the

architects and the investors, showing their consciousness at work: We must defend the idea of public

spending (Anne Lacaton), in line with the definite political dimension to practices ethos14.

Looking now further at the building, one should ask: what does it have to offer?

First of all, the sheer empty space of the industrial building

(fig.3), left for the imagination of the artists, has such

flexibility, it allows work on different scales (helped by the

new overhead bridge crane).15 It also goes well with Fracs

philosophy developed since 1998: the accent was set on the

interaction art and design and reconciliation of the art with

the real, essentially through relational aesthetics.16 So it

really doesnt surprise us the comparisons that have arisen

since its opening with Cedric Prices unrealized Fun Palace

and Piano & Rogerss Centre Pompidou, both framing, as

8 Vielhauer, Von Cordula Architectonic Twin: FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais by Lacaton & Vassal, Detail, 14.03.2014

9 Wright, Herbert Two of a kind, Blue Print 332, Jan/Feb 2014, p.188

10 Guidain, Margot Deux halle nes sous le signe de Gmeaux, Le Moniteur no.5753, 28.02.2014, p.26

11 Wright, Herbert Two of a kind, Blue Print 332, Jan/Feb 2014, p.193

12 Ibidem, p.193

13 Woodman, Ellis Frac Nord-Pas de Calais, Dunkirk, by Lacaton & Vassal, Building Design, 27.11.2014

14 Wright, Herbert Two of a kind, Blue Print 332, Jan/Feb 2014, p.202

15 FRAC Dunkerque / Lacaton & Vassal, Architecture and Urbanism nr. 521, p.29

16 Les collections des frac site: http://lescollectionsdesfrac.fr/les-23-fonds-regionaux-d-art-contemporain

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Figure 4. Functional axonometry (www.lacatonvassal.com)

Figure 5. Interior, overlooking the sea (Philippe Ruault)

Lacaton & Vassals building does, the kind of experimental

and progressive public milieu that Price had in mind,

although not for a moment presenting itself as a monument.

There is a high level of theatricality at play in its conception,

certainly, but a profound and very radical worldliness too.17

Second of all, functionally speaking, it presents an array of

spaces both public (exhibition hall, welcome/information,

additional spaces, experimentation/meditation, laboratory,

administration) and reserved for the work of art (goods

receipt loading/preparation room, storage,

logistics/equipment room). This may prove extremely helpful

as the collection grows larger.

Third of all, and now back to its true ingenuity, it offers a

doppelganger volume of a former shipyard hangar.18 Despite

all the drunken jokes the project might get, it juxtaposes

delicately without competing or fading, an attentive response

to the identity of the old building19.

For the description of the building, we will mostly focus on its

cost efficiency and the environmental considerations, all

ruthlessly re-prioritized a process to which the Fracs brief

has been subjected to particularly dramatic ends.20, but we

will also depict, in concentrated amounts, its glorious poetry.

So, how did it manage to make savings?

A good mix of ferocious pragmatism, careful dimensioning

(wherever possible, the use of standardized products),

exposed concrete structure (plumbing and cabling surface-

mounted included), cheap products, thermal efficiency is the

secret.

For the structure, they opted for a concrete frame with a 7,5

m grid resulting into 9300 m2 of space over five floors. For the

envelope, they used the double-skin ecological principle

(increasing the internal temperature with a consistent

17

Woodman, Ellis Frac Nord-Pas de Calais, Dunkirk, by Lacaton & Vassal, Building Design, 27.11.2014 18

Wright, Herbert Two of a kind, Blue Print 332, Jan/Feb 2014, p. 189 19

FRAC Dunkerque / Lacaton & Vassal, Architecture and Urbanism nr. 521, p.29 20

Woodman, Ellis Frac Nord-Pas de Calais, Dunkirk, by Lacaton & Vassal, Building Design, 27.11.2014 and Wright, Herbert Two of a kind, Blue Print 332, Jan/Feb 2014

6

Figure 6. Night view (Philippe Ruault)

7C)(fig.5), with the outer skin largely made of transparent corrugated polycarbonate (25-30/sqm)

mounted on light metal frames in a fixed form as well

as in floor-to-ceiling sliding panels and the second

skin, placed 2 m behind the first one, is either floor-

to-ceiling glazing in the public area or insulated

sandwich panels (for the unlit art storage spaces)21.

Besides being incredibly effective, the polycarbonate

surface is also scenographic(fig.6), making out of the

space behind a spectacle of shadows and vagueness.

Also, the gap between the exterior skin and the

inner glazing accommodates stairs (making one

think of Le Corbusiers architectural promenade) or

is spanned by floor to create passages along the facade.22 For the last two floors, the ones that make

out of the maritime landscape a work of art23, the envelopes polycarbonate starts to give way to the

glass and although the attic-like volume lacks the double enclosure, thus making the atmosphere cooler,

the temperature is moderated by the use of ETFE pillows.24

So I am sorry for overusing this phrase, but the building reminded me of the famous God is in the

details., as Jean-Philippe Vassal thought of another Mies van der Rohe catch-phrase, Less is more,

saying that today, he thinks this should also include the issue of economy, of materials price, of the

workforce and the fact that the ultimate material we are working with is the money.25

All these decisions that were made based on the cost efficiency issue make one think if Lacaton & Vassal

were not aware of the same question we asked ourselves. The necessity of such an investment in a small

city. But they beautifully dismissed the problem by seeing right at the core of their mission the public

access to different collections of art. As Anne Lacaton says, the project was very important for them

because its a public collection26.

Financed by ministre de la Culture et de la Communication, Region Nord-Pas de Calais, Communaut

urbaine de Dunkerque and Union europene (FEDER)27, all public institutions, this is when we ask

ourselves if those money were well spent in the city, putting in balance two things: one doesnt know

the outcome of it (it may not be such an attraction for people so one can call it educational) and what

one could have done with those money, socially speaking. The truth is - The building hits at Frances

largesse for publicly funded cultural citadels28.

21

Woodman, Ellis Frac Nord-Pas de Calais, Dunkirk, by Lacaton & Vassal, Building Design, 27.11.2014 and Wright, Herbert Two of a kind, Blue Print 332, Jan/Feb 2014 22

Wright, Herbert Two of a kind, Blue Print 332, Jan/Feb 2014, p.193 23

Querrien, Gwenal Frac Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Archiscopie 127, jan.2014, p.15 24

Woodman, Ellis Frac Nord-Pas de Calais, Dunkirk, by Lacaton & Vassal, Building Design, 27.11.2014 25

Larchitecture du FRAC Nord Pas de Calais. Dossier pdagogique, p.21 26

Wright, Herbert Two of a kind, Blue Print 332, Jan/Feb 2014, p.202 27

Querrien, Gwenal Frac Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Archiscopie 127, jan.2014 28

Wright, Herbert Two of a kind, Blue Print 332, Jan/Feb 2014, p.202

7

Figure 7-8. Bridge proposal ( brigitdekosmi.blogspot.be)

Another problem that postpones the success of the centre is its

current isolation, making it difficult to reach. But there is a project

scheduled for 2015 that hopes to solve this problem a passarelle,

or raised pedestrian pathway that will continue east out of the

building, jump 111m across a canal and mount the great dyke that

protects the docklands from the sea. Already passed the competition

phase (won by Brigit de Cosmi), this link (fig.7-8) continues into the

building, being the interface between the two sides, thus the

umbilical cord of two Siamese sisters.29 Although the bridge is now

crucial to make the building accessible, is this really the missing piece

that will turn this arts centre into a success or is it just another

investment to solve previously created problems? It is probably safe

to say that only time will tell.

Comparison to other FRAC museums

To try and answer the question of whether the building is really

necessary, let us zoom out to the entire France and observe the other

Frac regions and their art centres. Out of 23 regions, only five of them

have, until this date, built architectural projects, with two expected

to open in 2015. The ones that have already opened are in Rennes

(Frac Bretagne, designed by Studio Odile Decq, fig.11), Orlans (Frac

Centre, designed by Jakob & Macfarlane Architects, fig.9), Marseille

(Frac Provence-Alpes-Cte-dAzur, designed by Kengo Kuma and

Associates, fig.10), Besanon (Frac Franche-Comt, designed by

Kengo Kuma and Associates) and Dunkerque (Frac Nord-Pas de Calais,

designed by Lacaton&Vassal).

The table below introduces us to some of the basic numbers involving

the financial issues of the built Frac centres. Along the price and the

surface of each building, the table also contains the number of

inhabitants of each city involved, the price per square meter and the

price per inhabitant so that we can see the efficiency of each.

First of all, as we can see from the different timelines, there was a

massive investment in this kind of culture spreading buildings in more

29

Guidain, Margot Deux halle nes sous le signe de Gmeaux, Le Moniteur no.5753, 28.02.2014, p.27

Figure 9. Frac Centre (Nicolas Borel)

Figure 10. Frac Provence Alpes-Cte dAzur (Roland Halbe)

8

or less the same period, as In France, culture is historically tied to public institutions30. And although

we may link the Marseille building to its 2013 title of European Capital of Culture, the other ones seem

maybe a little out of the blue. Then, there is the matter of looks.

The Frac Nord-Pas de Calais seems like the less monument of them

all, trying to capture as much art, means of preservation and of

archiving as possible and being more of a place of real experiment

(think of the halls where experimental theatres take place) than a

show-off.

When we look at the data regarding the price per sqm, the best

business of them all was, as you might have guessed by now, the

building from Dunkerque. This proves once more its cost efficiency as well as time efficiency, but it still

doesnt solve the problem of its location, resulting in the most expensive of them all per capita.

Frac centre*, architect Price Surface Number of inhabitants

Price / m2

Price / inhabitant

Timeline

Dunkerque 12 mil. 11129 m2 70000 1078 171 2009-2013

Marseille 21.5 mil. 5757 m2 850000 3734 25 2007-2013

Orlans 8.5 mil. 3400 m2 113000 2500 75 2006-2013

Rennes 12.2 mil. 5000 m2 206000 2440 59 2005-2012 *The Besanon centre is missing because the building is shared with Cit de la Musique

Facing the same criticism we are arguing about concerning Frac Nord-Pas de Calais, the centre of

Marseille responds, through the president of the Provence Alpes-Cte dAzur Region when asked by

FranceTV about such an investment in a city known to be facing a challenging social juncture, When

there are social problems, culture mustnt be neglected. *+ here we support young artists, the culture

of today and of tomorrow. We are not just the region of Cezanne and Van Gogh.31

Bilbao effect?

The question we asked ourselves is not necessarily a problem of money, but of what effect will this

investment produce? Besides sensitizing people, of course. Can we talk about a Bilbao effect in this

case?

Although Frank Gehrys museum revitalized the economy of Bilbao, it was a really insane project to

build, especially moneywise. And as an economist was saying in 2007, 10 years after its opening, The

30

Davis, Sylvia The New Frac Marseille, France Today, 23.03.2013 31

Davis, Sylvia The New Frac Marseille, France Today, 23.03.2013

Figure 11. Frac Bretagne (Roland Halbe)

9

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao was a very risky project, but it is on the right track to being worth the huge

risk and investment.32 Could the same results be true in the case of Dunkerque, only shrunk to size? As

the same economist, Beatriz Plaza, further discusses, besides from the activity of visiting the exhibits,

the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao adopted market-oriented budgeting with parallel commercial

activities such as image copyright usage management, cafes, a high-end restaurant and a large museum

store all aimed at making the museum staff more efficient and sensitive to customers tastes.

Traditionally state-financed European museums have been reluctant to cash on such activities.33

So, with no commercial activity surrounding it, the future is uncertain. If it still relies on Frances public

expenditure, we can call off the comparison with Bilbao (meant in the appropriate scale). We are not

denying its bohemian appeal, because Frac Nord-Pas de Calais could become a cult building (by

analogy with cult movies). For the initiated only. It is really poetic, to make the exhibition space part of a

public promenade, it reaches the core of the principles that also emerged from French culture. But will it

lead to a truly economical Bilbao effect?

All the economical thoughts aside, if we think of the Bilbao effect as architecturally oriented, it is safe to

say it will not (as well as it didnt) stir tourists. Most of them, according to tripadvisor, see it as a joke, a

missed opportunity or as empty, not as splendidly revolutionary, although some seem to think it is

indeed an impressive building, only not reaching its full potential yet. As Witold Rybczynski said about

Bilbao museum, Whatever effect the *+ phenomenon will have on the way that tourists choose their

destinations, it has already had a major influence on the way that clients, especially museums, choose

their architects.34 And it can be said that some of the choices for Frac centres are object-driven

architects (BIG, Jakob & Macfarlane Architects).

Conclusion

After having thoroughly discussed the impact of a building over the city, comparing Frac Nord Pas-de-

Calais with its homologous from other regions, getting into the details of its construction, we are ready

for the close-up. Did we answer the question we asked ourselves in the beginning? Definitely no, all the

arguments led to a satisfying time will tell, because this is part of a buildings beauty. The way it ages

in time and not only aesthetically speaking.

There are definitely things that could be improved (like the access with the space around it), but the

comparisons to Tate Modern just make you think before issuing a judgment. Maybe it is high time to sit

back and relax and see what the future brings, not worrying so much on the building success, but

enjoying its philosophy. In the spirit of Scott Kings words written in the neon installation welcoming the

visitors: Lart est simplement la prevue dune vie pleinment veue. (The art is simply the proof of a life

fully lived).

32

Plaza, Beatriz The Bilbao Effect (Guggenheim Museum Bilbao), MPRA, 31.07.2007, p.4 33

Ibidem, p.3 34

Rybczynski, Witold The Bilbao Effect. Public competitions for architectural commissions dont necessarily produce the best buildings, The Atlantic, sept.2002, p.2

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Credit & Data

Project title: FRAC (regional contemporary artwork collection) of Nord Pas-de-Calais

Client: Communaut Urbaine de Dunkerque

Location: Dunkirk, France

Program: Artwork reserves, exhibition rooms, education

Dates: Competition 2009, design 2010, completion schedule 2012-2013

Architects: Anne Lacaton & Jean Philippe Vassal, with Florian de Pous; Camille Gravellier, Yuko Ohashi,

Juan Azcona (main project); Sandrine Puech, David Pradel, Simon Durand (competition)

Structure, mechanical systems: Secotrap

Metal structure: CESMA

Cost: Vincent Pourtau

Fire security consultant: Vulcano

Area: 11,129 m2 (new building: 9,157 m2, existing building: 1,972 m2)

Cost: 12 million euros (2011)35

Bibliography

Barelier, Laurent Dunkirk: A Green Alternative to Suburbanization, DAC&Cities, 19.04.2011

Davis, Sylvia The New Frac Marseille, France Today, 23.03.2013

FRAC Dunkerque / Lacaton & Vassal, Architecture and Urbanism nr. 521

Frac Platform - http://www.frac-platform.com/en/les-frac

Guidain, Margot Deux halle nes sous le signe de Gmeaux, Le Moniteur no.5753, 28.02.2014

Larchitecture du FRAC Nord Pas de Calais. Dossier pdagogique

Les collections des frac site: http://lescollectionsdesfrac.fr/les-23-fonds-regionaux-d-art-contemporain

Plaza, Beatriz The Bilbao Effect (Guggenheim Museum Bilbao), MPRA, 31.07.2007

Querrien, Gwenal Frac Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Archiscopie 127, jan.2014, p.15

Richard Rogers site - http://www.richardrogers.co.uk/work/all_projects/dunkirk_masterplan

Rybczynski, Witold The Bilbao Effect. Public competitions for architectural commissions dont necessarily produce the best buildings, The Atlantic, sept.2002 Vielhauer, Von Cordula Architectonic Twin: FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais by Lacaton & Vassal, Detail, 14.03.2014

Woodman, Ellis Frac Nord-Pas de Calais, Dunkirk, by Lacaton & Vassal, Building Design, 27.11.2014

Wright, Herbert Two of a kind, Blue Print 332, Jan/Feb 2014

35

FRAC Dunkerque / Lacaton & Vassal, Architecture and Urbanism nr. 521, p.40