Neuchâtel deputies unanimously approved two credits on Tuesday for a total amount of more than 40 million francs in the archives sector. The majority of this amount will be used to build an Archives and Heritage Center (CAP) in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
This project is “the fruit of long-term work which started in 2014”, explained Alain Ribaux, State Councilor in charge of culture. Carried out in conjunction with the City of La Chaux-de-Fonds, extensive work has been carried out to enable quality archiving. “Public reception will undergo a quantum leap,” he added.
The Grand Council unanimously approved a sum of 38.5 million francs for the construction of the CAP building and an amount of 2.5 million for securing archive funds. This last amount is linked to the move, its preparation and the archiving catch-up to allow a transfer.
This project will provide the State Archives Office, those of the City of La Chaux-de-Fonds and the heritage sectors of the Library of the City of La Chaux-de-Fonds with a building composed of storage spaces. centralized, secure and sufficiently large conservation facilities, as well as efficient archive processing premises and spaces dedicated to welcoming the public.
Concours d’architecture
It was the subject of an architectural competition, won by the Papyrifera project from the dSA office Daniele Stendardo Architectes, associated with the civil engineering office Verso Ingénierie, both in Carouge (GE). “This winning project convinced the jury unanimously with its qualities of sustainability, clarity and public reception,” we can read in the report. The roof will be green and covered with photovoltaic panels.
The CAP consists of the rehabilitation and expansion of the old Coop warehouses. The building is located in the immediate vicinity of the future cantonal administrative center known as “Docks”, which offers interesting prospects for synergies with the administrative entities which will be based there, added Alain Ribaux.
The General Council of La Chaux-de-Fonds approved on September 24 a credit of nearly 13 million for the creation of the CAP, and another credit of 755,000 francs for securing and moving the archives to the new building. /ATS
