An old barn renovation transforms it into a modern furniture showroom
Transforming an old barn into a modern showroom may sound like an impossible task. Michael Menuet undertakes the challenge and the idea for an old barn renovation. The barn is located outside of Aix-en-Provence, France in the countryside and has become a showroom for a furniture distribution company. With 200 m2 area, the showroom accommodates projects of Brazilian designers like as Paulo Mendes da Rocha, Mauricio Klabin and Rafic Farah displayed in most original way in the heart of the Provence.
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Old barn renovation provides a spectacular environment for furniture designs
When the Objekto company turned to the architect, they wanted an office and a showroom which will provide a space for displaying the furniture pieces in an appropriate environment. Keeping the existing volume of the building and with a slight raising of the roofs in order to obtain more volume, the old barn renovation project features a reception and storage room on the ground floor and office and showroom area on the second level. A special feature is the homogeneity of the space with interconnecting rooms and a feeling of being in an art gallery. As the main purpose of the barn renovation project is to focus on the presentation of furniture, the space is white, bright and very open.
Old barn renovation showcasing modern furniture pieces
The process of old barn renovation and creating open spaces required a higher ceiling on the first floor and an addition of openings and four bay windows were carved in the facade to provide views of the landscape.
Four large bay windows the agricultural landscape of Provence and Sainte-Victoire. The exposed joints outside these bay windows give a hint from the street of the contemporary style used to repurpose the building. A full-height wall extends over both levels and is a divider between the reception area and storage room on the ground floor and the office area and showroom on the second floor.The lack of doors and room partitions on the ground level creates a feeling of continuity of the space. The stone wall supporting the staircase is a beautiful contrast to the white walls.
