Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, The new 18,000 m2 Maison de l?Économie Créative et de la Culture en Aquitaine, MÉCA, creates a frame for the celebration of contemporary art, film, and performances, giving Bordeaux the gift of art-filled public space from the waterfront to the city?s new urban room. Centrally located between the River Garonne and Saint-Jean train station, MÉCA, brings together three regional arts agencies ? FRAC for contemporary art, ALCA for cinema, literature, and audiovisuals, and OARA for performing arts ? into a loop, cementing the UNESCO-listed city as the epicenter for culture.

The building is conceived as a single loop of cultural institutions and public space by extruding the pavement of the promenade to become the ramp that leads into the urban living room, the façade with glimpses into the stage towers of OARA and the offices of ALCA, and the rooftop enclosing the sky-lit galleries of FRAC. A series of steps and ramps lead the public directly into the 1,100 m2 outdoor urban room at the core of MÉCA, creating a porous institution for visitors to roam freely between the Quai de Paludate street to the river promenade. A 7m high MÉCA sign illuminates the space with white LED lights, like a modern chandelier at the scale of the urban room. During special occasions, MÉCA?s outdoor spaces can be transformed into a stage for concerts and theatrical spectacles or an extended gallery for sculptures and other art installations. A permanent bronze ...