A new office building with distinctive architectural character that was innovative in terms of both use and contemporary office design was to be built close to Grenoble’s station and Europole business district. 

Located at the entrance to a development zone (ZAC), the building forms the interface between the existing Europole district and the new constructions of the city’s regeneration programme. Visible from the railway tracks, the new complex blends seamlessly into the surrounding urban landscape. Alongside its visibility within the city, it also offers spectacular views of the countryside around Grenoble. 

Exceptional architecture with a strong connection to the countryside

A bowed facade, aligned with the site boundary, runs 110m along the street edge, shaping generous terraces from the ground to the sixth floor. Curves and transitions give the building movement, open up vistas of the Place de Sfax and shape an arc that looks out over the surrounding Alpine scenery. The set-backs on the street-side create terraces; the transitions on the side facing the railway tracks fashion sweeping volumes with a strong connection to the countryside.

The facades create both an unmistakeable architectural identity and a landmark for the surrounding area as well as supplying climate functionality. The pale cast-in-situ concrete helps counteract urban heat islands; the concrete projections on the railway side improve shading and so reduce the need for cooling. To the south, the window openings are protected by overhanging slab edges, while the light-coloured concrete spines that bring rhythm to the southern facade provide natural solar shading. 

A free-plan design that ensures functional flexibility

The concrete structure ensures a high degree of flexibility and is fully adaptable to evolving requirements. Based on a free-plan design, the building offers a compact form, modularity and a connection to nature through the system of concrete columns and its glazed frame. 

Open to all, the active ground floor becomes a dynamic space and public meeting place. The broad passageway that leads through to the garden draws the user into the outdoor areas. Elsewhere, a terrace along the facade serves as an eating area and the garden contains comfortable seating.