The Oignies pit closed down in 1990, leaving a whole population out of work and in great economic hardship. The buildings, superb industrial monuments dating from the early 20th century, remained. What was to be done with them? Apart from the heritage component, what sort of development strategy would be best for the site?
In 2005, we won the competition to convert the Fosses 9/9bis pit site in Oignies. The procedure took the form of a two stage Project Definition Commission, the first stage focusing on establishing a programme, the second on defining its architectural form. The initial brief from the client, the Hénin- Carvin Interdistrict Counsel, was very broad: “Living, working, creating in a park, human capital as the framework for a new development, an exemplary environmental approach.”
We proposed a site conversion programme based around the theme of music and and contemporary sound. The idea of music and sound emerged after an analysis of the site’s mining past from a social and historical perspective, but also of the regional population’s strong relationship with music, musical traditions (fanfares) and the very vibrant contemporary music scene.
The aim of the approach was to restore the positive image of the 9/9bis through a cultural project, in order to make it a centre of attraction and to revive economic activity.
Changing image: this transformation entails the refurbishment of the existing buildings, which are preserved with all the original machines, and the introduction of innovative contemporary architectures.
Changing use: after echoing to the noise of the mine and the machines, the site is now dedicated to music and contemporary sound, with the aim of transforming a form of pollution into a creative and forward-looking theme.
In the architectural design phase, we took the idea further: the project’s ambition is local, but also national and even international, seeking to attract a mix of visitors and users. For this reason, in addition to the revitalised historical legacy, the project needed a contemporary act that would crystallise the site’s new acoustic and musical location.
To achieve this, we created a strange and mysterious object of desire, which exists nowhere else: the Métaphone®. To make this idea possible, we approached the musician and sound designer Louis Dandrel who, in close collaboration with the agency, designed and developed the sound-related and instrumental aspects of the building.
The game rules of the 9/9bis project are clear: all the new constructions (the Métaphone®, BT01) are contemporary and innovative in style, whereas the existing heritage (the Machine Building, the entire Hanging Room) is retained, the facades left unchanged, and all the interior modern interventions are reversible, leaving the possibility of the building returning to its initial state in the future.
The whole of 9/9bis is part of the Mining Area, which in 2012 became a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a Living Cultural Landscape.
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