The Manufacture des Tabacs, located in the Krutenau neighborhood of Strasbourg, France, was first built in 1849 for the production of tobacco products. Over the years, the factory witnessed a series of war-related destructions and changes in ownership. By 2010, all tobacco production activities had been suspended, and the factory was closed. It was eventually designated as a building of historic and protected importance.
In 2023, 11 000 square metres of the Manufacture des Tabacs became a part of the University of Strasbourg – the largest educational institution in the city – as part of efforts launched by the local Public Real Estate Heritage Department. Vurpas Architectes took on the adaptive reuse project, converting three lots to render the industrial space hospitable for student activity and construct educational areas including classrooms, lecture halls, laboratories, research offices, and more. To provide acoustic comfort for students, the Rockfon ceiling tiles Color-all, Blanka, and Ekla were installed by STAM Acoustique across different areas.
Respecting the Architectural Character of the Former Factory
Acoustic strategies are typically urgent in adaptive reuse projects. In factories, this is especially the case considering that materials and floor plans aren’t optimised for new functions.
As an ex-factory, the Manufacture des Tabacs required intervention with a focus on educational acoustics in order for the spaces to allow for both student and teacher comfort. At the same time, as a protected heritage building, limitations mean that all modifications and additions need to be non-intrusive to respect the historic legacy of the 1800s building.
“The major challenge of this project was to offer spaces adapted to each area while preserving the industrial interior design of the site”, explains Ingrid Jégousse, architect at Vurpas Architectes.
“The main technical challenge was that the architects wanted to keep a large part of the beams visible. You have two options for the beams, either installing new ones or maintaining the historic beams of the former tobacco factory. The solution that we explored with the architects avoids the use of framework between each panel to have a junction that is as discreet as possible”, explains Jérôme Witz, Works Manager at STAM Acoustique.
Acoustic Comfort in the Adaptive Reuse of the Factory
Several acoustic solutions were installed across the ex-factory, each selected for the requirements of the room at hand.
For the lecture hall and multipurpose student hall acoustics, Rockfon Color-all acoustic ceiling tiles in the Cork and Hemp colours were installed – two of the 34 curated shades available in this range. “The coloured tiles, installed between the beams, are held in place using double angles, which allows the framework to be hidden and gives this continuous coloured effect between the beams”, explains Jérôme Witz.
“We selected coloured acoustic solutions in neutral tones to integrate with the wooden beams and blend seamlessly into the industrial building’s structure, which we aimed to preserve”, adds Ingrid Jégousse.
The acoustic white tiles, Rockfon Ekla, were installed in the offices and laboratories using Chicago Metallic Infinity suspended grids. In one common area, they’re installed in a rectangular floating raft grid. Additionally, Rockfon Ekla ceiling tiles were installed in classrooms to optimise acoustics and reduce reverberation. This creates tranquil environments for comfortable teaching and enhanced student focus.
“It’s crucial to establish a calm and serene environment for teachers, researchers, and students to study under optimal conditions. Working closely with the acoustic design office, we set specific objectives, and today, we’re pleased to say that we have successfully achieved them”, says Florian Wieber of the Public Real Estate Heritage Department of Strasbourg.
