CONCEPT & CONVERSION

LE PARC RESTAURANT
ARCHITECTURE : ARCH+TECH
PUBLICATION: IBRIDE
DIRECTION: SQUARE

UNDERTAKEN IN ASSOCIATION WITH IBRIDE FOR
LE GROUPE GERMIGNEY (F) 2020

We have converted, and created custom made pieces for, the bar and restaurant set in this exceptional location. The former tourist centre, a cube surrounded on all sides by windows, can be found in the heart of the park, set amongst the timeworn trees.

 

The building, created by architect Michel Demange, was inspired by Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion (1929).
It’s a clear space covering almost 300m², with 360° windows. Two of its façades look out over the park, with the river and bridge to the west, and a bustling intersection to the north.

 

Our first intuition was to protect the bar and restaurant from the hustle and bustle of the square, by erecting a verias green marble partition at the entrance leading out onto the street. This separates the guests from the hubbub of the town, and allows them to be fully immersed in nature.

 

Photography by P-E Saillard

The entrance is subtle, in the style of Japanese restaurants. No sign, a portico made of varnished black steel, and the vegetation which seems to take over the premises.

 

Photography by P-E Saillard

A series of portraits has been designed for the location. Men and women with gourmand hats and conspiratorial expressions take their place on the back of the marble partition.

 

Photography by P-E Saillard

We suggested concealing the service station behind a dark custom-made piece. The surface is engraved with a large scale model (5 x 3 metres) which depicts the town’s distinctive layout and pays tribute to the building’s functional origins.

 

Photography by P-E Saillard

A flock of brass starlings glides across the dining area. Some of them continue their flight outside, once again blurring the boundaries of inside and out.

 

Photography by P-E Saillard

A long bar separates the restaurant’s open kitchen, against the backdrop of the Doubs river. Glass tiles developed for the occasion, the result of a collaboration with the glassworks at La Rochère, coats the surface with its dark green hue. Its reflections are reminiscent of the river’s surface behind it.

 

Photography by P-E Saillard

LE PARC RESTAURANT
PARC MICAUD
PLACE DE LA 1ÈRE ARMÉE
25000 BESANÇON

Thanks to Jocelyn Gele, Noemie Paris & Vivien Sonzogni, Serge Ferrini, Vanessa & Arnault Baert.