“Interview with Manuelle Gautrand” by Gauthier Bolle et Maxime Decommer

Manuelle Gautrand is the author of a multi-faceted, poetic and optimistic body of work, far removed from any dogmatism. She first made a name for herself in 1992 as a winner of the Albums des jeunes architectes et paysagistes (AJAP) competition, and soon went on to showcase her work in more than a dozen competitions and large-scale commissions, such as the extension of the LaM in Villeneuve-d’Ascq and the transformation of the Gaîté Lyrique in Paris.

With spontaneity, sincerity and generosity, the architect confides everything that composes and inspires her creations. She sees her architecture as an ode to the site in which it is located and which it serves to express. Facets, folds and organic forms playfully punctuate the urban fabric. Her diverse inspirations, from the work of Ricardo Bofill to the Sydney Opera House, which she sees as an “upside-down ship’s hull”, lead her towards an intuitive, pragmatic and inventive architectural practice.

The fruit of two meetings that retrace Manuelle Gautrand’s childhood, training and some 35 years of practice, this interview highlights the promising career of one of the few women architects of her time in France.

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Pauline Leroux