new fire station, monthey, competition

client :

city of monthey

industrial company of monthey sa    

program :

fire station for the city of monthey and for the industrial site of cimo

dates :

competition novembrer 2008

sia 116 volume :

27’868 m3

collaboration :

françois meyer architecture, sion

through both its positioning and its dimensions, the new fire station at monthey takes into account the geometry of the chemical site. it is clearly part of the chemicals complex which it complements, and marks the end of the potential increase in the industrial buildings. the car park for cimo employees remains in its current position, and with its planting forms a valuable transition point between the residential and industrial areas.

the new building has two storeys. the ground floor contains the garage for the firefighting vehicles and the storage areas, as these require level access to the exterior. the canteen, bedrooms, changing-rooms and offices are on the upper floor, closely connected to the garage but also overlooking the surrounding countryside.

the proposed layout consists of a series of “strata” containing the different components of the project connected together. in cross-section, these layers take the form of a saw-tooth roof which allows natural light into the centre of the premises. the dimensions of the building give it the appearance of a “mould” that has been elongated to accommodate the vehicles, which are positioned at the front, ready to go.

the proposed building is a metal, industrial-style structure. its compact shape and its structure enable the costs related to buildings of this size to be rationalised. the façade is also of metal, the structure is “wrapped” in corrugated sheet metal whose colour – fire-engine red – highlights the role of the building as a flagship component of the site.