Burgundy, France
Dirk Jan Postel
When the owner of a small triangular
site in Burgundy, France, discovered a vault that was originally
built as an explosion chamber to destroy a bridge, the Talus
du Temple was born, though its original inspiration was a
structure on the property where a former princess of Orange
supposedly met with her lover.
An 18th-Century tower on the site has
become the basis of a small summer residence near Avallon.
Above the tower, a small glass pavilion provides 360-degree
views of the surrounding countryside. According to the temple's
designer, Dutch architect Dirk Jan Postel, the aim of the
design "was to express the magic of the roof 'floating
on nothing.'"
Postel accomplished this by cantilevering
the roof of the building over two panels of laminated structural
glass, with no other construction elements to block the view.
The roof itself weighs 4400 pounds, which challenged the builders
of the summer house. The roof had to be built first, and supported
with scaffolding until it could be lowered onto the glass
panels, so that pressure on the glass would be built up evenly.
Besides the glass pavilion, the complex also includes one
bedroom and a living room/kitchen unit.
Besides creating a romantic atmosphere,
the Talus du Temple has created talk in the architectural
community. The building earned Postel the Grand Prize in the
2002 DuPont Benedictus Awards, organized by the DuPont Corporation
and the American Institute of Architects. The awards specifically
honor design with glass. One juror commented on the Talus
du Temple, "I have probably not seen a finer example
of use of laminated glass as a total structural element."
Kevin Lerner
Gross square
footage:
250 sq. ft. (pavilion); 200 sq. ft. (lower part/cave)
Total constuction
cost:
$45,000
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