Stone-Ideas.com 
The rectangular limestone blocks have uniform height and thickness
A prime example of building with massive or solid natural stone is the rugby training center in the village of Les Matelles, not far from Montpellier in the south of France, known in the local language as the Pôle de Rugby du Grand Pic Saint Loup. The entire building, with an area of 800 m², is constructed as if in a building kit from rectangular limestone blocks.
In 2021, the project won one of the French natural stone awards “Construire en Pierre Naturelle au XXIe Siècle“ (Building with natural stone in the 21st century), which is awarded biannually.
The blocks have a uniform height (105 cm) and a uniform thickness (40 cm), their lengths vary between 210 cm and 40 cm. The weight ranges from 1.7 t to 320 kg.
As is usual with such constructions, the blocks are already cut to size in the quarry and only placed on top of each other at the construction site using a crane. The sheer mass holds them in place.
The joints are sealed with ordinary Batard mortar.
The total construction time was 6 months, and 4 weeks were needed to raise the walls.
The walls are not insulated inside or out but left raw. Only the clubhouse has insulation on the inside.
The limestone used was Pierre de Vers, which is quarried by the Carrières de Provence company about 90 km away. The stone is better known under the name Pierre du Pont du Gard and is even world famous due to the Roman viaduct.
The architects of bpa architecture cite the reasons for the choice of material: the stone fits “with its color and its roughness“ perfectly into the Mediterranean environment. The massive construction conveys an expression of “strength, durability, timelessness and nobility,“ qualities that the sport of rugby claims for itself.
As far as the shape of the building is concerned, the architects opted for simplicity. The close relationship to traffic buildings is unmistakable, but it can also be understood as an expression of modernity.
The solid wood roof emphasizes the horizontal. The thickness and solidity of the stone ashlars is emphasized by the free-standing pillars.
The building houses rooms for training and, among other things, a club, and a kitchen.
The Pôle de Rugby is a center of French rugby culture. Throughout the year, around 400 children and young people train there, most of them from the region. Major competitions are held regularly on the adjacent playing fields and athletics tracks.
The high windows in the building allow a view across these facilities to the Pic Saint-Loup, a prominent mountain peak after which the sports center is named.
bpa architecture (French)
Pierre Actual (French), November 2022 (#1020)
Photos/plans: bpa architecture / Didier Boy de la Tour (Mail)
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(23.03.2023, USA: 03.23.2023)