Corian® Solid Surface takes on the great challenge of promoting the linguistic heritage of France
"The color Salt, a subtly textured white Corian® reminiscent of paper, enabled us to create a unique immersive visitor experience honoring words, books and their history.” - Hervé Bouttet, founding partner at Projectiles.
February 2024 - The recent inauguration of the Cité Internationale de la Langue Française at the Château de Villers-Cotterêts is a remarkable contribution to France’s cultural heritage. Under the impetus of President Macron, the château was rapidly and thoroughly renovated, and the museography of the exhibition, entrusted to the agency Atelier Projectiles, stands out for its excellence of design and choice of materials. Corian® Solid Surface in Salt and Deep Nocturne tones accompanies visitors throughout this sublime tribute to France’s rich linguistic heritage.
Cité Internationale de la Langue Française, Château de Villers-Cotterêts, design by Projectiles, images by Sébastien Veronese, all rights reserved. On the left the magic library in Corian® Salt integrates multimedia and interactive media produced by Séquoia / Ducaroy / Grange. On the right, a chandelier composed of flying pages in Corian® Glacier White produced by Crea Diffusion.
Over 2,000 square meters of Corian® were used in the 1,200-square-meter permanent exhibition space and in the adjacent boutique to create extremely sophisticated furnishings based on words, letters and paper. To support a remarkable museographic narrative, Corian® was used to clad walls and create silk-screened picture rails, as well as exceptional illuminations, such as the monumental Corian® Glacier White chandelier composed of flowing pages. It was also chosen for its durability and ease of maintenance, meeting the requirements of a venue destined to welcome 200,000 visitors a year.
"The color Salt, a subtly textured white Corian® reminiscent of paper, enabled us to create a unique immersive visitor experience honoring words, books and their history. In each room, Corian® allowed us to create a stimulating and interactive museography for the public. We took full advantage of its versatility to create showcase furniture, cloche display cases to house precious collectables on loan from museums, and imposing audiovisual projection elements with no visible joints. The slides, for example, are huge pieces that extend from the wall, onto which information is projected, giving the impression that the text is flowing towards visitors", comments Hervé Bouttet, founding partner at Projectiles.
And to complete the ensemble, Projectiles opted for Garamond typography, a tribute to the sculptor and engraver Claude Garamont, who set the French language in print for François Ier. These timeless typographic characters permeate the entire layout, and are even engraved on an impressive black Deep Nocturne chandelier in a play of gloss and matte.
Cité Internationale de la Langue Française, Château de Villers-Cotterêts. Detail of the magic bookcase, in Corian® Salt and brass. Designed by Projectiles, produced by Séquoia / Ducaroy Grange. Images by projectiles, all rights reserved.
Cité Internationale de la Langue Française, Château de Villers-Cotterêts. Detail of the magic bookcase, in Corian® Salt and brass. Designed by Projectiles, produced by Séquoia / Ducaroy Grange. Images by projectiles, all rights reserved.
The refined aesthetic of the whole is enhanced by the harmonious combination with other materials such as brass, while the backlighting creates a bewitching atmosphere. The installation, which features 62 digital audiovisual and interactive devices, offers a contemporary aesthetic that perfectly complements the château’s architecture.
"Projectiles created exceptional and visionary work, which we achieved in an atmosphere of great collaboration. The challenges were numerous, from handling the imposing furniture to fixing it to old, irregular floors and walls. The integration of various media supports, televisions and touch screens, adds a technological dimension to this exceptional achievement. We’re very proud of the result," explains Thierry Delles, co-founder of Crea Diffusion.
Renovation of the château involved 55 different work packages, including structural work, roofing and parquet flooring. The Projectiles project represents a technical and artistic achievement that pays great tribute to the tangible and intangible heritage of the French language. It has been unanimously acclaimed for its creativity and its exceptional quality.
Cité Internationale de la Langue Française, Château de Villers-Cotterêts. Walls and furniture in Corian® Salt with integrated touch screens and backlighting. Images Sébastien Veronese, all rights reserved.
Projectiles - (www.projectiles.net) established in Paris in 2005 by a collective of two architects and an interior architect, embodies a fusion of art and architecture as its central ethos. Specializing in the design and revitalization of museum and cultural spaces, their portfolio showcases a dedication to intertwining artistic vision with architectural innovation.
CREA Diffusion - (www.crea-diffusion.com) was founded in 1988 by Thierry and Laurent Delles, who began as carpenters but specialized in working with Corian® over time. They became authorized Corian® manufacturers, members of the Corian® Quality Network Partner Program and collaborated with renowned designers, introducing the material into major brand fixtures. Their expertise led to research in Corian® properties and thermoforming, resulting in successful contracts in Africa and a patented innovation in the United States.
About Corian® Design - Corian® Design, a division of the DuPont company, is a global organization which creates, manufactures and markets advanced materials, products and solutions for interior design and architecture, originating from a foundation of world-class technologies and expertise. Marketed under the Corian® brand and the Make your Space™ tagline, its materials, products and solutions meet the most demanding requirements in terms of beauty, functionality and durability. The Corian® Design global portfolio is continuously evolving and it currently includes Corian® Solid Surface, Corian® Quartz, Corian® Endura and Corian® Exteriors. To know more about Corian® Design and its product offering in your country or region: www.corian.uk.
About DuPont - DuPont (NYSE: DD) is a global innovation leader with technology-based materials, ingredients and solutions that help transform industries and everyday life. Our employees apply diverse science and expertise to help customers advance their best ideas and deliver essential innovations in key markets including electronics, transportation, building and construction, health and wellness, food and worker safety. More information can be found at www.dupont.com.
Media Contact:
Łukasz Gągało
Corian® Design EMEA Commercial Segment Marketing Leader
e-mail: lukasz.gagalo@dupont.com
