RCR Arquitectes' Île Seguin Art Centre Criticised Over Dense Real Estate Project

The new art centre on Île Seguin, a project initiated by real estate developer Laurent Dumas, was entrusted to the Catalan architecture firm RCR Arquitectes, winner of the 2017 Pritzker Prize. Dumas selected the trio after visiting the Musée Soulages in Rodez. The project has drawn criticism because an overly dense real estate development has undermined the delicate approach for which RCR Arquitectes is known. The tension between the architects' sensitive design method and the density of the surrounding property programme is at the heart of the criticism. The centre is located on Île Seguin, in Boulogne-Billancourt, near Paris. RCR Arquitectes, founded in Olot, Catalonia, received the Pritzker Prize in 2017. The Musée Soulages in Rodez, designed by RCR Arquitectes, was the project that led Laurent Dumas to choose the firm. The developer is behind the new cultural centre. The source is Le Monde.