The Jan Michalski Foundation in Montricher was created in 2004 to foster literary creation and encourage the practice of reading.
Its buildings were designed by architects Vincent Mangeat and Pierre Wahlen and realised in multiple stages, starting with the exhibition and auditorium space as well as the library and connecting canopy built between 2009 and 2013.
Exhibition and Auditorium Space
Fondation Jan Michalski - canopy
Fondation Jan Michalski entrance
Fondation Jan Michalski
Fondation Jan Michalski - stairs leading to the auditorium
Fondation Jan Michalski - stairs leading to the auditorium
Auditorium Fondation Jan Michalski
Auditorium Fondation Jan Michalski
Auditorium Fondation Jan Michalski
Library
Its library is open to the public since 2014. It houses 70000 books in 9 original languages (English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Arabic, Russian and Polish) as well as in French translation. The upper floor of the library contains works at the convergence of writing and other art forms such as artists’ books and books on typography and calligraphy.
Entrance to the Jan Michalski library
Jan Michalski library window and canopy reflections
Jan Michalski library - top level floor
Fondation Jan Michalski - library
Fondation Jan Michalski - library
Fondation Jan Michalski - library
Fondation Jan Michalski - library
Fondation Jan Michalski - library staircase
The cabins
In a second phase of the construction after 2014, 11 cabins were installed onto the canopy pillars: 4 used as administrative buildings (designed again by Mangeat and Wahlen) and 7 for lodging the writers in residence (with architects selected through a competition).
Fondation Jan Michalski - main building and writers cabin suspended by the canopy
Fondation Jan Michalski - writers residence cabin designed by Rintala Eggertsson Architects
Fondation Jan Michalski - writers residence cabin designed by Mangeat/Wahlen
The cabin designed by Alejandro Aravena and built between 2014 and 2016 is used by the staff and the writers in residence to gather and share their meals. Alejandro Aravena won the Pritzker Prize in 2016.
entrance to the Alejandro Aravena designed cabin
cabins designed by Kengo Kuma and Alejandro Aravena
Larger than the other cabins, the most recent one designed by Kengo Kuma is used the foundation employee in charge of managing the writing residences.
Kengo Kuma designed cabin at Fondation Jan Michalski
Kengo Kuma designed cabin at Fondation Jan Michalski
