The Institut Français, which reports to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, replaced Cultures France in 2011 with a broader scope of action and increased resources. Working closely with the French cultural network abroad—comprising some 100 institutes and nearly 400 alliances—it promotes France’s cultural outreach abroad. In 2012, it commissioned PCA-STREAM to handle the artistic design and fit-out of a new headquarters in Paris’s 15th arrondissement, to which it will relocate in 2023. With limited resources and a tight deadline, PCA-STREAM strove to soften the existing environment as much as possible, despite the dense layout of the existing spaces, which were subject to strict high-rise building regulations. The addition of glass partitions offering views to the outside and the selection of light-colored furniture enhance the brightness, while the installation of accent lighting creates a home-like atmosphere. The firm also sought to infuse the project with a spirit of contemporary creativity, reflecting the institution’s mission.
Embodying a Creative Identity
Beyond the organization of workspaces, PCA-STREAM was tasked with designing a project that reflects the institution’s missions. In consultation with its representatives, the firm sought to identify the specific values of the Institut français before developing spatial solutions that bring them to life. The idea of a global cultural network emerged, symbolizing the organization’s mission of cultural dissemination and its networked structure. To this end, PCA-STREAM acted as an artistic curator by inviting French and international artists to explore the concept of networking in cultural creation. The agency notably turned to the duo Detanico & Lain, Brazilian linguists, semiologists, and graphic designers whose work lies at the intersection of graphic design and contemporary art. Their project graphically explores the concept of a network through the reorganization of the elements forming the letters of the alphabet. Key words—arts, exchanges, creation, language, knowledge, writings, cinema, partners…—provide the graphic material for creating new combinations within a dynamic system.
Printed on the floor, the network designed by Detanico & Lain spans the floors and extends onto the glass partitions, preserving staff privacy while allowing light to flow freely. The use of the concept of a network is thus metaphorically embedded in the building, connecting the various departments and giving the workspaces a unified identity. Upon entering, the Institut français logo, rendered in neon, bathes the lobby in blue light. Behind the reception desk, an installation developed with the artist collective 1.0.3, consisting of a nebula of screens crackling with images, symbolizes the Institute’s ongoing activities around the world.
Artistic Programming
Acting as curator, PCA-STREAM thus proposed a fully-fledged artistic project. By contributing a portion of its fees, with support from partner companies, the agency designed an initiative to fund original works by artists, transforming the project into a concrete effort to support contemporary creation. PCA-STREAM also proposed a seasonal artistic programming concept, taking advantage of the courtyards around which the offices are arranged. Bordered on the ground floor by an interior gallery used by all building occupants, these patios allow the Institut Français to promote its activities through temporary installations on its windows. The first season was entrusted to artists Alain Bublex and Renaud Auguste-Dormeuil.
