Architectural follies

As a major player in urban development, the City of Montpellier is committed to stimulating architectural innovation. By relaunching the Folies architecturales in Montpellier, we are asserting our ambitions, in line with the city's policies, to raise Montpellier's profile.

Temps de lecture : 10 minutes

18th century: the first Folies

On the outskirts of Montpellier, the 18th century saw the emergence of elegant residences. These "follies", designed for aristocrats or grand bourgeois, are now part of the metropolitan perimeter. Among them:

Domaine de Grammont
Domaine de Méric
Château de l'Engarran
Château de Flaugergues
Domaine Bonnier de la Mosson
Château d'O
Château Bon
Château de la Mogère
Château de Bionne
Château Levat
Demeure du parc de la Guirlande
Château d'Alco
Mas Nouguier
Domaine de Rieucoulon
Château des évêques de Montpellier
Hôtel Haguenot
Hôtel de Guidais
Château de la Piscine

21st century: Contemporary Follies

In order to continue this tradition of Folies and innovative architecture, Montpellier has decided to give impetus to the design and realization of 12 new architectural achievements, bearing witness to Montpellier's architectural vitality, accommodating housing, offices, shops.

Why a new wave of Folies?

To continue the tradition and the emergence of exceptional places in the city, visible from the tramway lines.
To make the choice of contemporary expression: bold, innovative architecture should make it possible to constitute the built heritage of tomorrow and participate in the construction of a dynamic, productive metropolis.
To participate in Montpellier's future urban identity. The new Folies will serve as a modern urban landmark.
To create a trail of architectural works characterized by a new and original approach to architecture. Mediterranean sustainable architecture, a place for public debate and enriching the catalog of Montpellier's built heritage.
To offer comfortable, sustainable, identity-building, original and pleasant housing or offices.

The City has therefore launched the following scheme:

A consultation of developers associated with an established architect and a young architect on references,
A pre-selection of 3 teams per operation,
A fee of €10,000 per candidate.

The City of Montpellier, accompanies and finances the call for tenders, the choice of architect. It is then up to the developer, in association with the architectural teams, to carry out the construction and marketing, as well as the development of the plot.

A first wave of Folies in 2012

Designed to meet the needs of Montpellier's growing population, the architectural structures of the 21st century will be :

New exceptional places in the city, visible from the tramway lines, in the tradition of the first Montpellier Folies
Examples of Montpellier's architectural identity and originality, for the population and visitors
Housing, offices and shops that are comfortable, sustainable, identity-building, original and pleasant.

The first 2 Folies to come out of the ground:

Jardin de la Lironde, or Folie Divine, by the Dominium- Farshid Moussavi - Coloco team, located in Place Manuguerra (Port Marianne district). This Folie offers 36 housing units and 260 sq.m of retail space.
Ouvrage architectural Richter, ou l'Arbre blanc, by the Sou Fujimoto, Nicolas Laisné Associés, Oxo Architectes agencies associated with Proméo and Evolis Promotion.

2022: call for bids for new Folies

In 2022, a call for applications from developers, architects and landscapers is launched to bring new Folies to life.

This will take place in 2 phases:

July 2022 - First wave of 5 Folies: Folie Vernière, Folie Manuguerra, Folie République, Folie Nouveau Saint-Roch and Folie Ovalie
Autumn 2022 - Second wave of 8 Folies: Folie du Lez, Folie Cambacérès, Folie Restanque, Folie Montcalm, Folie Beausoleil 1, Folie Beausoleil 2, Folie Mosson and Folie Corum

First-wave winners

Architect Odile Decq
Promoter: AEKO

Odile Decq is a French architect and urban planner. She gained international renown in 1990 with her first major commission: La Banque Populaire de l'Ouest in Rennes. Since then, she has remained faithful to her combative attitude, while diversifying and radicalizing her research. The award of the Golden Lion for Architecture at the 1996 Venice Biennale was recognition of her precocious and atypical career. Beyond a style, an attitude or an approach, Odile Decq's work materializes a complete universe encompassing urban planning, architecture, design and art.

Among other projects, she is currently working on a luxury residential tower in Barcelona ("Diagonal 0"), a high-end office building in Paris ("Twist") and a complex of five experimental houses in China ("Flying Horse House"). His most recent projects include Study Hall (Lyon, France, 2017); Le Cargo (Paris, France, 2016); La Résidence Saint-Ange (Seyssins, France, 2015); Fangshan Tangshan National Geopark Museum (Nanjing, China, 2015); GL Events Headquarters (Lyon, France, 2014); FRAC Bretagne (Rennes, France, 2012); Phantom: Opéra Garnier Restaurant (Paris, France, 2011) and the MACRO Contemporary Art Museum (Rome, Italy, 2010).

La Sentinelle, Folie Vernière's winning project

Architect Manuelle Gautrand
Promoters: Pitch - Promeo

Manuelle Gautrand was born in Marseille and obtained her postgraduate diploma in architecture from the École nationale supérieure d'architecture in Montpellier. In 1991, she opened her practice; she lives and works in Paris.

As principal architect of MANUELLE GAUTRAND ARCHITECTURE, she is responsible for the design and construction of a diverse range of buildings, including cultural facilities (theaters, museums, cultural centers), offices, housing, commercial and leisure facilities, etc.

She works for major public and institutional clients as well as private clients, in France and abroad.

"Reenchanting the city" and therefore bringing emotion, reinventing, renewing, innovating and proposing unexpected responses, being bold and plural are the founding principles of Manuelle Gautrand's architecture.

Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2017
President of the Académie d'Architecture (France) from 2016 to 2017
Member of the International Council of the Van Alen Institute (USA) from 2016 to 2017,
Member of the Fine Arts Committee of the Société d'Encouragement pour l'Industrie Nationale (S.E.I.N) since 2013,
Member of the Académie d'Architecture (France) since 2005,
Member of the Ordre des Architectes Français since 1990.

Alma Terra, winning project for Folie Manuguerra

Architect: Ellen Van Loon
Developers: VINCI - SOGEPROM-PRAGMA

Ellen van Loon joined the OMA architectural practice founded by Rem Koolhaas (awarded the Pritzker Prize in 2000) in 1998. She has led award-winning construction projects that combine sophisticated design with precise execution.
Recently completed projects under Ellen's direction include Brighton College (2020), BLOX / DAC in Copenhagen (2018), Rijnstraat 8 in The Hague (2017) and Lab City Centrale-Supélec (2017).

Other projects in his portfolio include Fondation Galeries Lafayette (2018) in Paris, Qatar National Library (2017), G-Star Raw headquarters in Amsterdam (2014), De Rotterdam, the largest building in the Netherlands (2013), CCTV headquarters in Beijing (2012) ; New Court Rothschild Bank in London (2011); Casa da Musica in Porto (2005) - winner of the RIBA prize 2007; and the Dutch Embassy in Berlin (2003) - winner of the European Union's Mies van der Rohe prize in 2005.

She is currently working on Factory International - a major theater for Manchester; the renovation of Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe) Berlin - Europe's largest department store; Lamarr, a new department store in Vienna; and the Palais de Justice in Lille.

Les Galets, winning project for Folie République - March 2023

Architect: Thomas Coldéfy and Isabel Van Haute
Promoter: Sogeprom-Pragma

Thomas Coldéfy is a French architect, founding partner and director of Lille-based Coldéfy, who oversees the general management and artistic direction of the agency with founding partner Isabel Van Haute. His award-winning project for the Hong Kong Design Institute, completed in 2011, brought the agency international visibility. To enrich the office's creative culture and constant quest for innovation and boundary-breaking, Thomas Coldéfy strives to develop and achieve a diverse range of projects on several scales. Before joining Coldéfy, he worked for renowned architectural practices in Paris, London and New York.

He was awarded the Asia "40 under 40" prize organized by Perspective, as well as the European "40 under 40" prize organized by the European Centre for Architecture Art design and Urban Studies and the Chicago Athenaeum. In 2014, Thomas Coldéfy was appointed visiting professor at the Jilin Institute of Architecture and Civil Engineering in China, and since 2021 he has been teaching Masters students at the École Spéciale d'Architecture in Paris. A graduate of the École Spéciale d'Architecture de Paris, he is a registered architect in France and a member of the American Institute of Architect (AIA).

Isabel Van Haute, Flemish Belgian architect and founding partner of Coldéfy, oversees the general management and artistic direction of the agency with Thomas Coldefy. Her award-winning project for the Hong Kong Design Institute, completed in 2011, brought the firm international visibility. She believes in the importance of a human-scale experience for every project. Her attention to detail in all aspects of architectural design, exterior and interior spaces brings a richness and diversity that can be found in all Coldéfy projects.

Before joining Coldéfy, she worked for renowned architectural firms in Paris and New York. Her international experience and culture foster a dynamic and diverse team environment. Isabel is a frequent speaker at conferences. She won first prize in the "Student's Belgian Glass Award 2001", as well as the "40 under 40" award from Perspective 2018. Isabel holds a degree in architecture from the Saint-Luc School of Architecture in Ghent and is a registered architect in Belgium.

Oasis, winning project at Folie Ovalie

Future head office of Crédit Agricole du Languedoc.

Architect: Dimitri Roussel (agence DREAM)

Dimitri Roussel is a young French architect, trained in France and the USA. A former professional basketball player reconverted to architecture, he first collaborated with Nicolas Laisné, notably on the Arbre Blanc project in Montpellier, as well as with architects Sou Fujimoto and Manal Rachdi, a collaboration that continued on several other projects in France (Village vertical proposal as part of the consultation for the Grand Paris, Joia Méridia project in Nice, mixed-use building in Lyon Part-Dieu, etc.). In 2018, he went on to found the DREAM agency (Dimitri Roussel Ensemble Architecture Métropole), which today includes around 30 collaborators and is based in Paris.

The agency places human beings and encounters at the heart of its intentions, to create spaces adapted to today's lifestyles and work patterns, just as it prioritizes ecology in construction, opting for bioclimatic design and low-carbon solutions. A French specialist in wood construction, DREAM has contributed to the construction of the tallest wood-frame office building (Perspective building in Bordeaux), the 125,000 m² Arboretum project in Nanterre, the largest wood-frame campus in Europe, and the athletes' village for the Paris Olympic Games, the ecological flagship of the French capital.

Dimitri Roussel has been recognized with the following awards: 2022 winner of the Prix régional de la construction bois en Île de France, selected in 2022 for the European Mies Van Der Rohe Award (EU Mies Award), winner of the European 40 Under 40 Award in 2021-22 recognizing the 40 most promising personalities in the fields of architecture and design, and finally co-recipient for l'Arbre Blanc of the CTBUH award for the best European tall building in 2021, the Archdaily award for Building of the Year 2020, housing category, and the Equerre d'argent 2019 award, housing category.

He is also involved in developing the Nice Méridia eco-valley prize to reward young designers in the Nice metropolitan area, and is a member of the scientific and artistic council at the Lyon architecture biennial.

Among other projects, Dimitri Roussel has contributed or is currently contributing to the Atelier de l'Arsenal third-location project at Place Mazas in Paris (coliving, exhibition space, coworking), the Woodwork timber-frame office building in Plaine Saint-Denis (Pyramide d'argent 2019), a building on the Polytechnique Paris Saclay campus in Palaiseau (nominated for an EU MIES AWARD 2024), a wooden building in the ZAC Paul Bourget (coworking offices topped by sports fields under a glass roof), in Paris 13th, the Pôle rectoral de l'académie de Créteil, or the Pôle d'échange multimodal/offices in the EuroNantes district.