Spiral Staircase Caps Off a Bold Modernization in France

Back terrace

V2S architectes renovated this building in the center of the Tardets-Sorhulos village square with modern pieces like a two-floor spiral staircase that greets you at the entrance. The staircase’s unique design with an open, glass enclosure invites visitors who come for the first floor information desk to venture upstairs to the building’s museum space.

Spiral staircase in glass

The house serves as a tourist center for the surrounding Soule Xiberoa villages, so efforts to keep the home’s original character are an important aspect of the design. The architects white-washed the building to make pebbles used to build the walls visible. They also emphasized all of the pre-existing beams and joints and kept the original openings to the square and back garden.

At the same time, the project has a distinctly modern feel with pieces designed to attract visitors and convey information. The architects used an open concept on the ground floor to bring more light into the space. They also custom-built display cabinets, benches, and storage units using a light wood that complements their choice of black quartz floors and white walls. [Photography and information courtesy of ArchDaily]

Original exterior