The French municipality of Sallanches in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region recently inaugurated a new building for its local École de Musique et de Danse de Sallanches (Music and Dance School of Sallanches). The project was designed by two Lyon-based architectural firms, LINK architectes and DLD architectes, who won the competition for the project in early 2022. The city-commissioned project received financial support from the Haute-Savoie department, with the architects reporting net construction costs of approximately 6 million euros.

The need for this new construction arose because the previous facilities, which were distributed across two separate locations, no longer met the school's requirements. The new building also provides space for a theater section, accommodating up to 600 students compared to the previous capacity of 400. The facility is located south of Sallanches' city center in a typical suburban area where commercial buildings and residential houses of varying sizes alternate with undeveloped land and streets.

To create an architectural focal point in this peripheral landscape, the architects chose clear geometric forms. The rectangular building is executed as a single-story structure topped by two elevated roof dormers, creating a distinctive silhouette that connects to the mountain panorama behind it. The auditorium is positioned under the highest point of the building and adjoins the centrally located inner courtyard, which can also be used for events. The rooms surrounding the courtyard open onto it through floor-to-ceiling glazing, designed to enable connections between the school's various areas and foster creative synergies.

The orchestra hall is located under the second, slightly lower peak. Numerous practice rooms for music and dance, as well as offices, complete the building's program. Several large openings in the exterior facades provide passersby with glimpses into the school's daily activities.

With the exception of the concrete base, the entire structure is made from locally sourced wood. The building envelope features vertical slats in a forest-green color scheme. Above this extends a zinc-shingled roof that cantilevers to the sides, from which the two peaks unfold. The roof dominates the building's appearance, with the courtyard's character particularly influenced by the roof that extends far down and the sculptural finish of the covering. On the exterior sides, the roof edges made of standing seam metal feature a wave-shaped cut that enlivens the facades with shadow play.

The project represents a thoughtful integration of functional requirements with aesthetic considerations, creating a building that serves both the practical needs of music and dance education while establishing a distinctive architectural presence in its suburban context. The use of local materials and the building's relationship to the surrounding mountain landscape demonstrate the architects' sensitivity to regional character while providing a modern facility that can accommodate the growing student population and expanded programming of the music and dance school.