Archives départementales, Haute-Garonne

In 1955, architects Viatgé and Castaing delivered the Haute-Garonne Departmental Archives, later recognized with the “Remarkable Contemporary Architecture” label in 2017. Today, the facility requires restructuring and extension to meet evolving functional demands and the expectations of current and future users. Respectful of the historic building, conservation standards, and environmental performance goals, the archive architect has designed a project that reinforces the architectural unity of the entire complex.

From the original entrance, visitors are guided through the various public areas of the Haute-Garonne Departmental Archives. Conceived by the archive architect as a large, flexible, and reconfigurable ground floor, the space accommodates a variety of events — exhibitions, screenings, group visits, and conferences — creating a true civic forum open to the community.

By concentrating new archive silos, administrative offices, the reading room, and exhibition areas within the extension, the archive architect proposes an architecture that connects previously separate functions. The new and existing buildings function together as a single entity. The coherence of the ensemble is strengthened by a new façade, whose proportions and rhythm establish a dialogue with the historic elevations. Beyond visual harmony, the archive architect ensured the concrete frame façade system offered multiple advantages: the modulation of its grid opens the ground-floor public and exhibition areas to the city, while filtering sunlight into upper-level offices. The prefabricated system ensures efficient assembly and facilitates construction on an occupied site.

The heritage building renovation is a compact and restrained form minimizing envelope surface area, optimizing thermal performance. A double-skin façade system ensures the stable climatic conditions required for archive conservation. In public and staff areas, a solar chimney ventilation system reduces overheating and limits energy consumption, embodying a design guided by sobriety, efficiency, and environmental commitment.