Studio des Ursulines

The lobby of the Studio des Ursulines cinema in Paris posed quite a problem for h2o Architectes, mainly because three things needed to happen in the small space: greeting and welcoming the public, selling tickets, and hosting events. Their solution "regroup[s] all functionalities into one central piece," a fixture that "slides and unfolds to reveal the necessary uses: closed it serves as a counter; open, it offers a register at it’s heart; when the lower part is spread, it offers bench seating and tables for children." Take a look:


[Photos: Stéphane Chalmeau | animation by archidose]

I'm a sucker for objects that expand from something to solid to something open and multi-functional, hence it being featured here. My only quibble is with the tracks on the floor, which disappear when the seating is in place but are too much of a distraction when the fixture is closed. Nevertheless, it's an interesting solution to a fairly difficult problem.