The Litho-Bru site will become a great cultural space in Grand-Cognac

On April 5, a unique adventure by the cultural distillery of Grand Cognac allowed a small group of enthusiasts to discover the Litho-Bru site in Cognac. For the benefit of the local population…

On April 5, a unique adventure by the Cultural Distillery of Grand Cognac allowed a small group of enthusiasts to discover the Litho-Bru site in Cognac. Both for the benefit of the buildings abandoned since 2013 and especially for the possibilities that Grand-Cognac intends to give them. The building was once a trading house, and has been known since the beginning of the 20th century^H Several destinations in the century: a transport company, a fisherman, a capsule maker and, from 1964, a printing company specializing in bottling Cognac and Champagne with a new lithography whose name is still on the front.

Purchased in January 2022 by Grand-Cognac, the site is intended to become a spacious space or cultural center that will house a media library, a conservatory for music and dramatic arts, and an archive space dedicated to small Cognac houses.

14 million euros

With architectural firm Bigoni-Mortemart selected in the spring of 2023, demolition is scheduled for early 2025, and opening planned for the beginning of the 2027 academic year. The large volumes under the metal frame, evoking cognac cellars, appealed to the architects who will retain only With the existing frontage on Bloomjou Street of the compact and restricted site; The main entrance will be on Place Camille-Godard.

The entire building will be astonishingly vast, with 3,000 square meters on two levels, and a central plateau with 1,000 square meters of trees in one lot; On the ground floor is the media library; On the upper floor, the conservatory contains offices, classrooms, and a broadcast space whose stage can be seen from the gardens. Deliberately kind and welcoming, the entire cultural center will have the mission of developing culture and promoting access and meetings around books and the arts.

The total cost of transforming the Litho-Bru site is estimated at €14 million, including €9 million for the work, with various funding expected from Europe, the Drac Region, the administration and the City of Cognac.