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Brasserie Les Haras

IRCAD - Strasbourg

LA BRASSERIE

Les Haras de Strasbourg is a hotel and restaurant project unlike any other. Composed of a the four-star hotel and Michelin 3-starred chef Marc Haeberlin's first brasserie, Les Haras presents an original solution to the question many provincial cities are facing: how to redevelop and harness the potential of their architectural heritage. Managed by the Institute for Research into Cancer of the Digestive System (IRCAD), presided over by Professor Jacques Marescaux, the project allies architectural creativity and technological innovation, two particular areas of French expertise, with philanthropy, an unprecedented mix for a historic redevelopment project in France.

As conceived by Agence Jouin Manku, the interior design for the hotel and brasserie is characterized by its authenticity and modernity, a particular idea of luxury and comfort inspired by the equestrian world, restrained and subtle.
Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku have expressed their vision of this former stud farm and historic site, in a design that is both elegant and simple. They have deliberately chosen to limit the range of materials used; solid wood, natural full hide leather, and blackened or brushed metal to transpose the original life of this emblematic Strasbourg building into something resolutely contemporary and simple, whose architectural details attest to the studio's creativity.
Marc Haeberlin’s brasserie occupies the former Royal Stables, a building classified as a historic monument both inside and out. It boasts 800 sq m of exceptional interior space, 13.5m high and crowned with an unusually beautiful original timber roof structure.

Transforming a space like this into an inviting brasserie worthy of the talent of Marc Haeberlin required careful consideration within the restrictions of the site. The project focused on conserving existing details, aiming to expose the fabric of the building, showcase the timber frame and joists, retain the original render upstairs, reuse the floor tiles, and creatively work with the grand doors to create an inviting entrance lobby. 

In response to the monumentality of the site, Jouin Manku's design plays with a sense of scale and light. The goal was to allow visitors to appreciate the exceptional historic dimension of the site without feeling overwhelmed. 
Upstairs, to add warmth to the immense space and to screen service areas, Jouin Manku have designed a micro-architecture covered in saddle leather: a 30 sq m yurt, almost five meters in height, creates a cozy dining space without being a private dining room.

The yurt, open at the top to reveal views of the timber structure, has a wonderful convex shape, its curves and layering referencing various pieces of a saddle. On its outside, the soft brown leather covering the yurt gives it warmth. Inside, the structure of wooden bars that hold it together are covered with a textile that looks a little like a saddle-blanket with its lozenge-shaped quilting. Full of light, it draws the eye, its generous proportions allowing all sorts of configurations for the tables inside.
Yurt detail: Gold-tone natural calf leather from Tannerie Haas, hand-mounted and top-stitched by Corler.

PROCESS

EXTRAORDINARY OBJECT

On the first floor, the staircase to the second floor catches the eye with its soaring flight. The 32 oak treads and their patinated steel underside wind 6 metres upwards, piercing the ceiling with a large hopper to allow visitors to see the roof structure as soon as they arrive. This impressive structure embodies the idea of a building laid bare, revealing its structure.

Rough beechwood scrolls accompany and protect those ascending or descending the steps from view. The steps have also been designed with a protruding point on the bottom steps and a V-shape on the top steps, a graphic means of signifying the dynamics and speed of gait. The choice of an old-fashioned treatment for the wood, unstained and left untreated, allows it to soak up the marks of time. The bending gives the material a living aspect, almost a spiral movement that embraces and protects the user, revealing all the poetry of the project.

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In figures

- Surface area: 2665m2 (hotel & restaurant)
- Restaurant: 800 m2
- Frame height: 13.5 metres
- Staircase: 32 oak steps, 6 metres high
- Yurt: 30 m2 and nearly 5 meters high

Informations

Architectural concept,
interior architecture
and design                                                                              
Jouin Manku
Sanjit Manku
Patrick Jouin
Jacques Goubin
Tania Cohen
Bénédicte Bonnefoi
Bruno Pimpanini
Anna Leymergie

Execution architect
Denu & Paradon
Lighting designer     L'Observatoire International
Regional curator of historical monuments
Simon Piéchaud
Year2013

Credits

Photographs: © Nicolas Mathéus & © Hélène Hilaire