Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library by Ateliers A+

The Event Hall L’Agora and the Ernest Hemingway Media Library are housed within a single, elegantly conceived building that reflects the strong identity of Le Grau-du-Roi. Conceived as an urban amphitheater, the complex is open to both the city and its natural surroundings, offering a contemporary architectural language that structures and enriches public space. The project embodies the dual mission of cultural engagement and civic conviviality, positioning the facility as a landmark within the urban and social fabric of the town.

Strategic Urban Placement

Situated at the heart of an urban redevelopment site near the train station, schools, and the Palais des Sports et de la Culture, this new public facility enhances community life by integrating multiple civic functions. The building stands at the end of the wide pedestrian Rambla, acting as a visual anchor on the horizon, and evokes the image of a lighthouse guiding visitors to the port. Its distinctive silhouette, featuring a bold wave cresting the sky, situates the structure as a fragment of the landscape, suspended between sea, dunes, and ships, reinforcing the town’s maritime identity.

Form and Materiality

The event hall forms the solid base of the complex with a simple and clear geometry. Its sand-colored, textured concrete base references the reeds of the Camargue ponds and maritime ropes, grounding the building in its local context. Above, the glass-walled media library introduces transparency, allowing panoramic views and a strong visual connection to the surrounding environment. Wooden slats shelter the library while providing natural shading and a tactile warmth that extends into the interior spaces.

Wood is a recurring material across façades and interiors, creating a welcoming and human-scaled environment. The roof, a key architectural element visible from afar, is clad in standing-seam metal, whose ribbed texture evokes Mediterranean seashells. The underside, lined with wooden planks, recalls the hulls of boats, while terraces, designed like planted dunes and wooden pontoons, offer outdoor spaces for relaxation and social interaction.

Functional Clarity and Sustainability

Clarity, compactness, proximity, and sustainability guide the building’s design. Each programmatic element is expressed with precision: the event hall provides a flexible venue for performances and gatherings, while the media library offers full transparency and daylighting, supporting reading, research, and public interaction. This functional rigor is balanced with a symbolic architectural language that bridges nature and the built environment, reinforcing the civic role of the facility.

The design integrates sustainable principles through material selection, passive daylighting, and the creation of outdoor terraces and green spaces, which enhance energy efficiency and user comfort. By responding to the surrounding landscape and urban context, the building becomes more than a public facility—it is a new emblematic gathering place for the community, fostering cultural exchange and social cohesion.

A New Civic Landmark

Through its organic forms, material richness, and careful siting, the Event Hall L’Agora and Ernest Hemingway Media Library assert a strong territorial identity while providing a modern, flexible public facility. This project demonstrates how contemporary architecture can honor local history, respond to landscape conditions, and serve civic life, creating a vibrant focal point for Le Grau-du-Roi that is both functional and symbolic.

Photography: Camille Gharbi