“Les étudiants qui vivent dans l’immeuble, Avenue de Sévelin 16, de la FONDATION MAISONS POUR ÉTUDIANTS LAUSANNE (FMEL), ont un espace commun à faire pâlir d’envie l’esthète le plus averti. Et pour cause, ils peuvent se retrouver, se détendre, travailler et manger dans un atrium entièrement aménagé par Julia Christ, la décoratrice des bars branchés de Lausanne.”
Maisons et ambiances
MAISON SQUARE // Lausanne
The project for the Fondation Maisons pour étudiants Lausanne (FMEL) at Avenue de Sevelin 16, is set as part of a building composed of rooms and studios for university students in Lausanne.
Wishing to create a space for meetings and relaxation, the central atrium, which had previously been an empty space, was transformed in an “oasis” where students could organise social gatherings, small concerts or just to meet to eat, work and play.
The notions of flexibility, appropriation and diversity of use have led to the realisation of a playful and flexible layout. The modular bespoke furniture was beautifully crafted in solid oak and combines a formal declension of banquette seating and tables that can be assembled in multiple ways to adapt the space to the different activities proposed by the residents. It joins a platform whose steps expand to offer students freedom of use.
A whimsical 50m2 mural by the English artists George and Raffy Greaves completes the new atmosphere of the atrium, bringing colour and joy to the space.
The materiality of the furniture and the colour range chosen is a dialogue between the architecture of the existing building and the introduction of a new playful and welcoming dynamic.
Photos Gabrielle Besenval