The building was erected on the banks of the Du River, on the territory of the former port: only a brick warehouse of the 1930s remained from it, which Kuma included in his construction. This warehouse and the adjacent part of the new building is occupied by the Regional Fund for Contemporary Art (FRAC) Franche-Comté: there are such institutions in all regions of France. The adjacent building houses the conservatory; however, they teach not only music, but also ballet and dramatic art.
The two parts of the building are connected by a common roof: the covered public space between them is called the "Art Gallery" and connects the city with the river. Also for the rest of the townspeople are wooden and concrete steps on the gentle bank of the Du.
The facades of the buildings are covered with panels of wood, glass and black lacquered steel. The resulting checkerboard pattern, according to Kuma, resembles traditional Japanese plaid fabrics. At the same time, FRAC panels on the walls have a horizontal configuration, while conservatories have a vertical configuration. The supporting structure of the building, depending on the site, consists of wood, reinforced concrete or thin steel supports. Spruce wood was used for the frame, and larch was used for the building sheathing.
The top layer of the roof consists of “pixels” (another metaphor for the architect): glass and aluminum panels, as well as trays for landscaping. The roof of a 1930s warehouse protrudes from above. The rainwater collected in the building and the waste water from the heat pump flows into the outdoor pool, where it is saturated with oxygen, and then descends into the Du River.
In total, in a building with a budget of 46.6 million euros - 11 400 m2 of total area; its length is 185 m, height - up to 15 m. In the building of the Center for Contemporary Art there are two exhibition halls, a conference hall, training workshops, studios for "resident" artists, a storehouse and various auxiliary rooms. The conservatory boasts 80 rehearsal studios with high-quality soundproofing, as well as a concert hall with 290 seats, where wicker acoustic baffles on the ceiling are made of ash.
