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Saint Jean de Luz, France

JunXion is an innovative hospitality proposal, comprised of three differing types of accommodation: traditional hotel rooms, luxury bungalows and a dormitory. Add-on or independent amenities and facilities are coupled with these offerings, including a lobby, bar, restaurant, fitness centre and swimming pool as well as workshops, a kitchen, co-working spaces and an urban park. With this varied programme, it is clear that the establishment targets a broader clientele and not only the hotel guests, with the aim of serving as a point of attraction and a venue for events appealing to the local community as well.

The concept complies with the regulatory framework calling for new interpretations of regional architecture by proposing a complex of archetypical and quasi-abstract building forms. They are all simple structures, respecting the authorized dimensions. The thin, white concrete facing slabs of differing sizes that form the building envelopes resolutely assert their mineral nature, achieving a critical mass tellingly emphasized by the deeply recessed large window openings. Traditional red clay roofing tiles, a familiar regional favorite, are used for all the roofs. The percentage of openings in the facades varies depending on the type of accommodation. The dormitories are windowless spaces at the points where the dormitory units themselves are situated, with one large opening on each facade to bring natural light into the central hallways. Conversely, the bungalows feature very large openings, which give them a very particular interi-or luminosity as well as framed views of the park.

The lobby in the main, central building is an open structure, with the potential for a wide range of programming. To this end, the floor area is completely devoid of partitions, with the exception of the restrooms, technical areas and storage facilities. On each side it offers large, accordion bay windows whose maximal opening instills a continuity with the outdoors. This encourages hotel guests and local residents to develop their own ideas for the use of the space. All of the buildings are situated so as to reinforce the parcel limits. This micro-urban design approach tends to strengthen the site’s insularity, allowing it to break free of its rather unappealing environment on the outskirts of the city.