-
Architects: Coldefy
- Area: 7821 m²
- Year: 2019
-
Photographs:Michel Denancé
-
Manufacturers: AutoDesk, Airclim, ClimaWin, Concept Alu, Delporte, Eiffage, Fehr technologies, Soprema
-
Engineering: BEA, SERGA, Structure, Electricity and Insulation, Fluids
Text description provided by the architects. In 2016, the Mayor of Tourcoing and Nord-France Invest supported Booking.com’s desire to move to new premises in the region. Booking.com wanted to find a place accessible by public transport, around 7,000m², equipped with completely open office floors offering compact working spaces, large relaxation, and meeting spaces.
The building had to be BREEAM-certified, secure, accessible, and functional. Client SemVR’s challenge was to provide an efficient and flexible location corresponding to new ways of working within a short period of time. It joined forces with Foncière de l’Erable, an investor, and Eiffage Construction to confirm that the project was feasible in terms of budget and time frames. A location was found in the city. Coldefy, which was consulted, accepted the challenge. Today, the building meets expectations. The short lead time, a large number of stakeholders, the creation of a contemporary building in the architectural conservation area near the station, all required the team to demonstrate responsiveness, persuasion, and great cohesion to complete the project. Coldefy helped the client to achieve its objectives.
The building is located on a triangular plot, in an architectural conservation area overseen by Architectes des Bâtiments de France (ABF). The plot was used in its entirety to accommodate the requested office space. These constraints had to be leveraged. A zero-energy building was imagined, it was raised. The architectural style and the materials were approved by the ABF. The open office spaces wrap around a courtyard and form a ribbon from the main lobby to the last level of the triangular building. The corridors located next to the facades follow the continuous glazed ribbon, which in turn helps to open the building up the town and share its life.
The building’s facades are simple; made from smooth grey high-performance concrete. A glazed ribbon of anodised aluminum curtain walls flushes with the façade stand out from the other anodised aluminium openings, which are set back from the facade.
Active stairways, which provide physical and visual continuity from one level to another, create pleasant spaces conducive to informal meetings and relaxation. This concept aims to foster an overall sense of belonging and to erase the hierarchy. It embodies the non-hierarchical, flexible ways of working as well as the values of traveling and the dynamic spirit of Booking.com. The building was designed to be sustainable, flexible, and efficient. It is framed to make it possible to partition the floors: each level can be divided into three to six units.
In order to meet the short construction times, Coldefy proposed efficient construction methods: prefabricated concrete and standardised windows. The concrete and glass triangle is supported by its facades and offers open, column-free spaces. The addition of storefronts on the ground floor, between the metro station and the train station, improves the integration of the building into the topography of the surrounding streets... It creates a friendly living space and an urban statement. The building was conceived as a catalyst: shops and a crèche on the ground floor bring life to the neighborhood.
