campus cristal thales communication & security_gennevilliers 2012
TRANSCRIPT
Campus Cristal
Thales Communication & Security_Gennevilliers 2012
At the heart of the Carré 92 business park, the
Cristal campus covers some 87.500 sqm and
was designed and built over a two year period.
Some seven independent office buildings,
a reception building and a services building
are grouped around extensive water features.
Parking spaces for 2240 cars are essentially
kept below grade.
Ambitious environmental targets were
achieved, including the low energy
consumption label BBC (Bâtiment Basse
Consommation) as established by HQE
(High Environmental Quality) criteria.
The design of each building fits its function.
Showrooms, amphitheatres, campus restau-
rants, offices and a parking silo clad in wood
all engage in a rich architectural dialogue.
Pedestrian and vehicle flows are strictly
separated vertically and horizontally.
Raised walkways wind through the watery
landscape, with bridges and pontoons connec-
ting island gardens to formal public spaces.
A large central square plays host to public
activities and is flanked by the extensive
aquatic planting.
Facade textures and colours are chosen to blend with the existing
architectural context of the Carré 92 business park.
Accessibility to all points of the campus is a key feature
of the masterplan, creating a network of pathways that link buildings
together via the heart of the campus.
A wide pedestrian concourse runs the full length of the site from
workshops in the east end to the corporate restaurant at the west end.
A monumental pedestrian bridge inspired by leaf structures straddles
the main entrance to the site, extending and articulating this pedestrian
lifeline within the campus.
The reception areas and public spaces are also inspired by various
interpretations of the mineral world, with faceted surfaces,
coloured strata and even jewellery setting techniques called upon
to enrich the architectural experience.
A cantilevered stair crafted in concrete, steel and glass connects the
lobby of the showroom building with the business centre and 400-seat
amphitheatre above.
Care is taken to ensure that all prestige areas feature an abundance
of natural light and give onto the extensive landscaping the defines
the heart of the campus.
The company restaurant, accommodating a thousand employees
at a time, is housed in a new extension built between two existing
buildings which were heavily refurbished as part of the brief.
The deployment of «fast track» management techniques enabled
the entire campus to be designed and built in 21 months.
Prefabrication techniques were critical in the construction process,
reducing waste on site, increasing assembly speed and improving
accuracy in execution procedures.
A dedicated hospitality building is nestled into the aquatic landscape,
with a brasserie, showroom and amphitheatre all benefitting
from the extensive planting.
More than just a calm oasis for residents, the water gardens store
and recycle rainwater, encourage biodiversity, clear the air of dust as well
as cooling it through evaporation, and create an acoustic mask by means
of waterfalls whose soft murmur keep external noises at bay.
Landscaping and softscaping
of the campus is designed
to provide intuitive navigation
for workers and visitors, whilst
providing a striking visual
composition when seen from
the surrounding office spaces.
The architectural language is inspired by the mineral world,
whilst the landscaping draws inspiration from botanical forms.
Throughout the campus, plantations take the form of water lilies
which grow and spread to become large circles that overlap in plan.
These circles become clusters of planting both in the aquatic
gardens and in the more formal public places.
A pleasant dialogue is established between the angular and circular
geometries of the mineral and organic worlds respectively.
Circular forms are deployed to provide accessible islands to discover
by means of footbridges, as well as outdoor amphitheatres and even
exterior furniture.
The materials chosen constitute a rich palette from concrete
to rough fieldstone to wood.
The gemmologist’s geode inspires three main facade typologies.
The first, a rugged exterior weathered by the elements, defines
the periphery of the campus and hints at a hidden geometry within
the urban ensemble.
The second, a polished surface revealing the strata of encrusted
aggregates in the concrete, articulates the ‘slices’ or cuts between
buildings, with lighter colours ensuring maximal natural light
conditions to office spaces.
The third is a finely detailed geometric matrix, reminiscent of crystalline
formations, which features a warm ochre pigmentation and a surface
relief which refracts ambient sounds and improves acoustic comfort
upon approaching the entrance to each building.
ArchitectArt & Build – Architectes - selarl
PartnersBruno Caballé, Marc Thill, Philippe Bultot Project LeadersDominique Harris, Steven Ware
TeamMark Larmuseau, Ulrich RuefliAbdel Akasbi, Jean-Pierre Camara, Mélanie Catel, Florentin Ciobanu, Edouardo Da Silva, Jennifer Debacker, Raphaël Friquet, Christopher Hennes, Hye Young Hong, Thibaut Lelong, Coline Lescot, Félix Nagel, Jacques Van de Vliet, Mimmo VenturiniAriane Van den Bergh, Horacio Da Silva
Site ArchitectJPR – Agence d’architecture – J.P. Rozé
ClientAG Real Estate
TennantThales Communications and Security
Project Management Objectim
Consultants
Structural, mechanical and electrical, façadesTerrell
Tennant technical servicesSerau
Fire safetyCasso
LandscapingSignes
EnvironmentThor
LightingSpeeg & Michel
Signage Urban Graphic
General Contractor GA Entreprise
Credits Daniel Beres / Katrin Vierkant / Bernard Rousseau
Graphic Design sdesign
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