Changing Room and Restroom Pavilion Brétignolles-sur-Mer building France, French architecture photos
Changing Room and Restroom Pavilion in Brétignolles-sur-Mer, France
15 June 2025
Design: Magnum architectes & urbanistes
Location: Saint-Pons-de-Thomières (34), Southern France
Photos: Juan Cardona
Changing Room and Restroom Pavilion, France
Magnum builds low-impact coastal facility in French dune landscape
Magnum Architectes has completed a small-scale beach facility in the dunes of Brétignolles-sur-Mer, western France—designed to address seasonal tourism pressure within an ecologically protected context.
The project consolidates three key public functions—changing rooms, toilets, and waste management—into a single low-lying structure occupying a Natura 2000 zone.
The site presented multiple regulatory constraints, including ONF (National Forestry Office) oversight and strict environmental protection protocols. In response, the architects proposed a minimal, reversible structure designed to limit disturbance both during construction and operation.
Positioned at the edge of a beach access path, the timber-clad volume aligns with the landscape’s topography, using a mono-pitched roof and slender profile to minimise visual disruption.
Cladding strategies were developed in tandem with privacy, airflow, and maintenance considerations. Horizontal locally sourced timber boarding is overlaid with vertical slats that enable modular light screening, wind protection, and natural ventilation—particularly for the enclosed waste area.
The structure and interior linings (excluding tiling) are made entirely from French-sourced timber, with dry-assembled joints allowing for full dismantling and reuse. The project operates off-grid during the summer season via rooftop photovoltaic panels.
Built on a budget of €385,000 and covering 115m², the pavilion demonstrates how small civic infrastructure can deliver functional resilience and environmental accountability within stringent ecological settings.
Architects: Magnum architectes & urbanistes – http://www.agencemagnum.com/?lang=en#1, Magnum Architectes & Urbanistes, Phytolab
Photographer: Juan Cardona
Changing Room and Restroom Pavilion, Brétignolles-sur-Mer, France images / information received 150625
Location: Brétignolles-sur-Mer, France, western Europe.
Architecture in Southeast France
On the Port of Cannes
Design: Heams & Michel Architectes
image courtesy of architects
Glass House on the Cap d’Antibes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, southeastern France
Architects: David Price Design
photograph : Hervé Hôte
65 Croisette Boutique, Cannes
Design: Moatti and Rivière
++
New Buildings in France
French Architectural Projects
Redline Apartments in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, La Seyne-sur-Mer, Var department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, southeastern France
Design: Pietri Architectes
photograph : Serge Demailly
Lycée René Goscinny, Alpes-Maritimes, southeast France
Design: José Morales architecte, Marseille
photo : Philippe Ruault
French Villa in the Var, Bargemon, Provence, southern France
Design: Dixon Jones and Jean-Paul Radigois
French Architect Offices – design firm listings
Comments / photos for the Changing Room and Restroom Pavilion, Brétignolles-sur-Mer, France designed by Magnum architectes & urbanistes page welcome
