The Jeunotel youth hostel was constructed between 1991 and 1993 by the Atelier Cube architecture studio. The problem presented by its proximity to the motorway is solved thanks to a layout based around four courtyards. The first is used as a reception area; around the other three, rooms are spread over two floors and accessed via passageways. The lobby is in the centre, while the south-east corner houses the restaurant and facilities.
The concrete of the structure is combined with a variety of materials – wood in the façades, cobblestones, gravel and lawns in the wooded courtyards. The lobby is animated by the dynamic lines of the passageway, internal stairway and furnishings. Lighting is provided by window bays of various shapes in the walls and ceiling. The complex is strikingly elegant, both in its design and the materials used, with the utmost attention paid to detail.
The Jeunotel Hostel won the “Distinction vaudoise d’architecture” award in 1996.
