-
Architects: AR+TE Architectes
- Area: 78 m²
- Year: 2010
Text description provided by the architects. The international high school and college of Saint-Germain en Laye, is situated near Paris, in the perimeter of protection of ancient buildings and presenting numerous green spaces to be protected.
This site is steeped in history. The castle of Hennemont situated inside the school, welcomes at the beginning of the years of 50, by the will of General Eisenhower, a school apartment in the SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Powers in Europe). The equipment becomes in 1962 the "international High school of the NATO, then in 1965, a civil high school further to the decision of France to withdraw from military organizations of the NATO.
Hardly of this international past, the project wants an element envoy of hope and internationality. The concept being "The dove, the universal peace symbol ", the roof is constituted by a white element representing the flight of a dove.
The light green colour of the bardage is chosen to remind the very important vegetation on this plot of land. This colour allows a good integration in the immediate environment creating a harmony with the close plant arrangements.
The new building is implanted according to both main directions of the site, the axis of arrival of the pupils and the axis of the pedestrian main path. Since the entrance, a frontality installs the necessary presence which identifies the changing room as the place of reception and information, then the development towards the second direction, directs the individuals and manages the flows of circulations towards the education buildings.
The built is constituted by a single unitarian and compact building grouping together the elements of the program: the changing room of the guard, the rest room, and the toilets. These last ones being for the articulation of two other entities.
The constructive system consists of a metallic structure at once solid and light allowing a speed of assembly. The outside treatment of the building wants unitarian by its treatment metallic bardage without visible fixations. Joineries will be aluminum natural anodized.
The shape of the roof corresponds to the will to welcome the pupils by an element representing a dove, an universal peace symbol.