Architects: Tolila+Gilliland
Area: 517 m²
Year: 2012
Photographs: Philippe Ruault
Country: France
The Mosquito Coast Factory, designed to create a cultural oasis within an industrial site, reimagines a space for living, research, and production. With a galvanized steel structure and systematic organization, this building serves as a versatile laboratory for artistic experimentation. Inspired by the novel “The Mosquito Coast” by Paul Theroux, the project blends functionality with utopian aspirations, fostering creativity and collaboration.
The inquiry from the client/artist revolved around creating a cultural enclave within an industrial area, aiming for a tangible realization of a utopian space for living, research, and production. The resulting architectural proposal is based on an investigation into a set of elements designed to fulfill this ambitious vision.
The galvanized steel cube mirrors the industrial façades around it, with monumental doors that subtly slide away into the interior. The space is systematically organized, featuring repetitive interior grids, modular uses, and a structure that supports future artistic experiments. The raw materials are expressed authentically, with meticulously crafted details and surprises in every sequence of discovery. The design includes a grand central nave, lateral storage cells, platforms for exhibitions and living, and a symmetry emphasized by two monumental staircases. Light diffuses softly from the north façade, reminiscent of early 20th-century artist studios, and doors open to the surrounding landscape. The plan is simple and economically efficient. These elements combine to create a vibrant, inhabited space. This is not a mere shed; it is an island.
The Mosquito Coast Sessions aim to establish a venue for artistic experimentation and research. This facility is designed to welcome curators and artists each year, fostering opportunities for exchange, innovation, and cooperative work.
Inspired by the fictional architecture from Paul Theroux’s 1981 novel and its 1986 film adaptation by Peter Weir, the Mosquito Coast Factory embodies a creative vision. In the narrative, an inventor relocates from the United States to Honduras with his family to create an ideal society. They establish a metal structure in the jungle with a grand ice factory aimed at transforming the local community. This imagined setting, intended as a stage for creative reflection and visionary ideas, becomes an architectural source for interpreting and exploring new dreams and stories.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: 5 Rue de la Tamise, ZAC Porte Estuaire, 44750 Campbon, France
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
