Les Franciscaines Cultural Centre

In 1875 the sisters Adèle and Joséphine Mérigault financed the construction of a building that in the years to come would have different functions. It has been both an orphanage and a convent for nuns who moved there in June 1878. Later it became a dispensary with a small hospital, that was then transformed into a clinic, and after that it was turned into a home economics school and, finally a vocational high school. For over 140 years, all these activities were conducted by Franciscan Sisters in line with the desires of its two benefactresses. 

In 2011 the nuns decided to sell the property and the city of Deauville chose to re-invest in a location that was both steeped in history and popular with local inhabitants. The idea was to create a cultural centre that would break down boundaries and overturn the rites and dogmas that often govern culture by bringing together a museum, a media library and auditorium in the same place. 
The architectural project submitted by the Moatti & Rivière studio in early 2021, combines the enhancement of exceptional heritage with a contemporary design, reinforced by an 8’18’’ lighting system, that encourages contemplation, dreaming and socialising.

The refurbished cloister symbolises the Franciscan spirit of renewal. A highly modern glass roof now covers the former interior garden. The historical structure of the cloister has also remained with its four eighteenth century arched fretwork walls that hold up the building’s three floors and skylights. The building materials, which have been cleaned and renewed, reflect light through the prism of a monumental chandelier inspired by the Normandy sky and the endless variations of its clouds.

In the evening, the chandelier performs its lighting role with 400 Palco Low Voltage luminaires fitted with a specially designed hook-shaped attachment. The artificial lighting produced is splintered and multiplied by 14,285 tubes that create a highly contemporary effect which becomes a symbol of the location, its architectural design and Deauville itself, by filling the centre with bright and magical evening light.
Under this huge chandelier, the cloister covers a light and versatile area of about 400 m². Today this has become a reading room and a meeting place that is also the foyer of the auditorium located in the former chapel. 

The main exhibition hall, on the other hand, has a roof that is a natural light well and, at night, this downlight effect is recreated by 200 Laser luminaires that flood the sides of the deep skylight. In the exhibition spaces and reading rooms, Laser CoB luminaires have mainly been used to ensure the lighting is both diffuse and homogeneous. In some places these have been combined with Palco luminaires to obtain accent lighting on the artworks on display and in other cases by Reflex Wall Washer luminaires that evenly illuminate the vertical walls and the paintings and photographs hung on them. Square Laser Blade XS luminaires have been used in the service spaces.