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Architects: Lacroix Chessex
- Area: 4600 m²
- Year: 2021
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Photographs:Olivier di Giambattista
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Text description provided by the architects. The project forms part of the eco-district at Jonction. This public facilities building complements the three existing residential units. Its program includes a crèche, a sports hall, premises for extracurricular activities and a multi-purpose hall.
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On the site, this public facilities building is organized according to the principle of differentiated, yet related blocks offset against each other. The building’s compact design frees up land for a high-quality urban public space within the new district. This square is in continuity with a series of urban open spaces that end at the corner opening onto the Rue des Gazomètres, thus creating a new entrance to the former Artamis site. The project is distinguished by a large urban street frontage on the Boulevard Saint-Georges, highlighting its character as a major thoroughfare within the continuity of the urban fabric. The design reinterprets the principle of public bases with more domestic functions accommodated above.
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The three architectural programs have a very clear spatial distribution: the adult world (sports hall and multi-purpose hall) is located on the ground floor towards the earth and that of children above, reaching up to the sky. A large concrete platform structure forms a clear boundary between these two worlds. This platform also solves the issues of the large spanning distance by acting as a load-distributing slab, as well as serving as sound insulation.
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The crèche itself is shaped like a large brick-built house, raised on top of the platform structure. Organized around an inner courtyard open to the sky, this future Cité de l’enfance evokes the sandcastles of our childhood. Like a small fortress amid the urban environment, it represents a safe haven where children can grow and develop in the heart of the city.
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