GPAA – Gaëlle Péneau Architectes Associés

FROM PROJECT TO MOTIF : what is on the drawing board.

Emotions, sensations, energies are the ​“sensuous” aspect of architecture, the intuitive and dynamic character of design that GPAA is looking to share through this exhibition. The sensuous side of architecture also encompasses its material dimension, which is very important in GPAA’s projects. Materials – whether stainless steel, steel, copper, varnished brick, wood or polycarbonate – are a central aspect of every project. Through materials, GPAA also addresses the question of motif. Whether on the façade, in details such as guardrails, railings and gates, or inside the building, on the surfaces of walls, each project can be identified via its distinctive motif. It is through these motifs that the visitor discovers the agency’s work.

Created in 1994 on the Île de Nantes, the agency specializes in designing and producing public buildings, generally on a large scale and for complex programs. It works in the university/school, hospital, cultural and tertiary sectors, as well as on housing projects in urban areas. The exhibition presents projects such as the Ampère professional high school in Vendôme, the new Théâtre 95 in Cergy-Pontoise, and the Nelson Mandela educational city in Angers.