1970s Atelier Palegre in Ponsas, southeast France
I have featured a few projects in the past, but none quite like the 1970s Atelier Palegre in Ponsas, southeast France.
Yes, the bubble house concept and the work of architects Pascal Hausermann and Claude Costy. This is a building that would stop anyone in their tracks. But it isn’t quite a house as it stands.
The building was designed as a ceramics workshop, and you can see is still laid out for that purpose. Described as a ‘large multi-purpose volume’, it currently operates as a workshop, storage room, exhibition room and point of sale for the ceramics produced here. But it doesn’t have to be like that.
This 1971 design is a space that would lend itself to a variety of uses, whether that’s as a workshop, an events space or, most likely, a quirky place to live. Imagine this laid out as a house. Somewhere very unique to live and a strong possibility for a very Airbnb or other rental too. Who wouldn’t want to spend some time in a building as unique as this?
But you would have to work with the house. Those concrete curves are here for the duration.
This ‘bubble house’ is primarily constructed from concrete, which was sprayed onto a metal mesh to produce those distinctive curves. This is as much a piece of sculpture as it is a house or workspace.
It was a concept first explored by Michel Ragon, a famous art and architecture critic who derived the term ‘architecture-sculpture’. The development of new techniques, such as concrete sprayed on steel reinforcement, made that a real possibility and one that was first explored by Swiss architect Pascal Hausermann.
He was co-founder of the ‘Habitat Evolutif in 1971, and with his partner, Claude Costy, they put those ideas into practice with the likes of the alpine leisure centre Le Balcon de Belledonne, the Club Tekky (Paris) and the Motel l’Eau Vivre (Vosges).
This place too, which takes full advantage of the appealing scenery around it with those amazing large rounded bay windows pierced all around the structure.
On the south side, three ‘glazed spheres’ offer panoramic views of the landscape. They also serve as workspaces, and each houses a potter’s wheel. Note also that some of the equipment and furniture elements, such as a fireplace, shelves, a platform and a sink, are directly sculpted in the concrete and integrated into the architecture.
To the north, a large awning extends the roof and houses two access doors, one oblong and one circular on a pivot, made of resin by ceramists Jean-Paul and Suzy Brunet. The smooth surface of the single white hull is punctuated by four chimneys that rise above the roof and by Plexiglas globes with blue frames.
How would it work as a house? I honestly don’t know, as the building has been purpose-built as a workshop and studio. But a good architect will almost certainly point you in the right direction.
The heart of the building is bright, open and airy, which is everything you want from a living space. The tough part is likely fitting out more functional areas, such as a kitchen and bathroom, as well as splitting off bedroom space in a building like this without removing the character. As I said, I don’t know how that would work, but a good architect almost certainly would.
Before you consider that, you might want to consider the asking price. This one was on the market for €740,000 some time ago. But that price has now dropped considerably. The house is now up for sale with an asking price of €380,000, which is around £319,000 at the current exchange rate. Not exactly loose change, but for a building like this, it might be a price to tempt you in.
Images and details courtesy of Architecture de Collection. For more details and to make an enquiry, please visit the website.
Note also that the similar and remarkable Maison-Bulle is also for sale via the same agent.
