Philippe Donjerkovic lors du lancement des travaux vendredi 24 mai. – Nathalie Pioch

Projection du futur aménagement de la chapelle du pénitencier. Atelier Donjerkovic architectes

L’histoire du lieu sera préservée DR

Work has begun in the chapel of the penitentiary of Aniane Abbey. Philippe Donjerkovic, heritage architect, is the project manager for this project. He explains to us in what spirit he conceived his project.

There is a commotion in the main courtyard of the abbey. Site meetings have already taken place to define the different phases and coordinate with the companies that have been selected to carry out the work. Interview with architect Philippe Donjerkovic, to discuss this first part of the rehabilitation.

ML : Can you quickly tell us about your background ?
PD: I was born in Aix, in the Mazarin district, quite wealthy, with an important heritage. My father was a carpenter for historic buildings and we lived in a company apartment. This is perhaps what motivated my career. After graduating from the Marseille School of Architecture, I continued at the Chaillot School in Paris to become a heritage architect. My firm specializes in historical monuments and cultural buildings. We notably worked on the Carnolès palace in Menton, the Dobrée museum in Nantes or the Madoura gallery, Picasso's workshop, in Vallauris.

ML : How do you approach the site ?
PD: We did not want to censor history, but preserve traces of the past, even if it is relatively recent, since the chapel dates from the 19th century . It is above all respect for human memory that will guide us, the scars, the agonies. We are going to work on the depth of time. The chapel is going to be what  rsquo;we call it "crystalized", that is to say that the decorations will remain in the state in which they are. Usually, a chapel faces the light. But there, it’s the dark side that dominates… hellip; a shift from a luminous place which sheltered the dark side of humanity. There is a symbolic aspect to this project.

ML : What will your approach be ?
PD: I'm talking about a “capable” space, which for me is different from multipurpose, because it expresses something broader. It will be an essentially cultural place, which will be able to accommodate all artistic productions: photo exhibitions, painting, sculpture, music, dance, theater… And conferences, culinary fairs, and everything else you can imagine. Capable means preserving the character of the current chapel, with the walls, the framework, the gallery and the choir, and being able to accommodate all the technicality. We must accommodate all these uses without changing the appearance. This place already lives with CCVH events. We need to perpetuate the actions by moving away from the provisional. It is an ambitious rehabilitation.

ML: Exactly, how are you going to proceed ?
PD: We will keep the place as it is today, avoiding “restoring” the sets. The building has taken on water, it is very degraded, which explains why the choir of the chapel was walled up, for safety reasons. We will demolish this wall to restore the initial functioning and volume, and restore the pierced vault of this choir. Around the chapel, we will also do work in the rest of the wing, to create dressing rooms, offices for the administration, a reception area, the ticket office, a refreshment bar, a lounge for relaxing before and after the show and for more special receptions. Several functional possibilities are immediately considered.

ML: How long will the work last and what will happen next??
PD: We plan at least a year of work, and we will use the site to create artistic events. We are talking about a film on the progress of the restoration, and a happening when we are going to demolish the wall with the ephemeral fresco. Then, other interventions are considered, such as the courtyard of honor, but not yet scheduled. For now, we are focusing on the north wing and the chapel, but it is obvious that there will still be a lot of things to do. We're at the beginning…

Collected by Nathalie Pioch

Other projects will emerge

This first phase of work is part of a global project. Supported by the Community of communes Vall’Hérault, owner of the site, the restoration aims to make this heritage building a cultural highlight. An interpretation space, around the cloister, will present the creation of the abbey, its past and its history. and the penal colony. It will allow us to understand the evolution of the territory, since everything started from this place.
An arts and crafts village will welcome both production workshops, presentation and sales spaces.
Among the projects envisaged, the creation of an archaeological library, to preserve archaeological furniture from the Valley of the Valley. rsquo;Hérault. A work and study space will house archeology researchers and students, and will promote exchanges between the community. scientific and heritage mediation.

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