PORTRAITS

Localisation : Toulon, Tunis - Création : 2012 - Activité : agence d’architecture - Collaborateurs : 5

Catherine Fleury splits her roots between Marseille, where she was born and studied at ENSA-Marseille higher school of architecture; Hamburg, where she graduated; and Toulon, where she currently lives and works. Chacha Atallah was born in Tunisia and graduated from ENSA Paris-Est. They both travelled (Norway, Germany and Japan), mixed with some big names, and met in 2005 at the Parisian architectural agency Lipsky + Rollet. There, they say, “we had the time to get to know each other and leverage our complementary strengths,” before creating their own partnership, which seemed inevitable. Now they regularly come together halfway between their respective schedules to share their ideas at meetings in Tunis, Toulon ors Paris, smoothly anchoring their projects in country landscapes and urban settings: architecture that is pure, sophisticated, raw, timeless and elegant. During their shared journey, they have forged a style that respects the techniques that mark the identity of Mediterranean architecture. “Our work places a strong emphasis on the use of local resources and artisanal skills. In Tunisia, construction is still traditional. Working closely with masons, ironworkers and carpenters means materials are expertly handled, such as red brick, plaster and exposed concrete, which are ideal for fabricating custom formwork. In the South of France, traditional façade plasterwork and terracotta in all its forms offer other alternatives. Through patios and pools, light is suffused, filtered or floods rooms in waves, creating a soft atmosphere and a feeling of well-being.”
Their projects ­– residential, renovations, extensions and transformations – are based on their two personalities. While Catherine dons her artist’s smock to paint frescoes on the walls of an apartment in Marseille, Chacha designs furniture and contemporary objects presented in Carthage under the Slow Edition brand. These furnishings, along with bas-relief wooden panels and rugs fashioned between the two shores of the Mediterranean, showcase the talent and manufacturing know-how of this young architects’ studio.

Par Caroline Guiol

Fleury Atallah Architectes

From exhibition spaces to housing, offices, individual homes and interior design projects in France, Tunisia and overseas, the agency continues to expand its reach and resonate. Whether it’s a holiday home in Ramatuelle, a conference space in Toulon, rooms with arches that have become decorative mouldings in Cassis, the wine cellars and vaults of Domaine des Féraud in Vidauban, or an art gallery in Tunis, everything gives pause for thought. The duo imprints their distinct style on each project, from homes and apartments to public spaces: inside, carved woodwork, reassuring oak, flamboyant mahogany; stylish concrete in form panels that feel smooth underfoot; marble – outside, overlooking the sea, virginal white, Klein Blue, and other primary colours in accents of yellow and red, combined with natural shades that appear timeless and perennial in space. “Architecture that’s unpretentious, understated and self-effacing to allow room for the humans in its midst.”