Solar Powered International Design Center Unveiled
Situated in an defunct arms manufacturing facility in Saint-Etienne, the recently unveiled ‘Cité du Design‘ is a stunning international center for design.
Designed by Berlin and Paris based LIN, the ‘Centre International du Design’ is a new institution for communication, research and education in design. The project is situated on the historic site of the National Arms Manufacture in St. Etienne. Powered by solar energy and supplemented by an efficient heating system, the energy efficient ‘Cité du Design’ is a world class design center that lives up to its name.
Designed LIN, the €41.5 million Cité du Design just opened at the beginning of October. Inside the complex are auditoriums, meeting rooms, exhibition space, a media library, and indoor gardens with an observation tower located alongside the long hall.
It involves the renovation of several historic buildings, as well as the integration of a new building the ‘platine’ (200 x32 m), an observation tower (31m high), two gardens and the P’lace d’Armes’, a public esplanade.
The ‘platine’ is an interclimatic laboratory whose adaptive skin is enveloping several programs as an exhibition spaces, an auditorium, the ‘agora’, a greenhouse and a media- and material library. It is reacting on their different needs in terms of light and climate. It is also an expression of the different activities in the ‘Cité du Design’.
A latticed 3D structure forms the walls and roof of the complex, and the interior of the hall is left open without any supports or beams to get in the way.
The center is very energy efficient and utilizes a heat exchange and recovery system to reduce energy used for heating. Pre-conditioned air from the internal gardens, which are not heated, is drawn into the system to heat the nearby rooms.
The skin of the building is composed up of 14,000 equilateral triangles made from different materials that help to control light, temperature and air flow according to environmental conditions. Some of these triangles are actually photovoltaic cells used to generate power for use in the building.
More pictures: www.lin-a.com.
Project status: International competition, 1st prize, realisation
Site: Saint-Etienne, Loire, France
Client: Saint-Etienne Metropole
Team: Architects: LIN Finn Geipel + Giulia Andi, Berlin/Paris
Surface net: 17 250 m²
Dates: competition 2004, realisation 2006 to 2009
Costs: 41,5 Mio €
Related posts:
That is really some neat architecture. I wish we would see some more of that in Indianapolis.
beatiful
We need to become more aware of our environment and save energy whenever possible. It is going to take great architecture to achieve this.
Everybody heard’s about ‘Bosphorus‘.But everybody doesn’t see it closely.I have discovered the hidden places of İstanbul by the help of this
Bosphorus tour.Bosphorus tour is the one that everyone wants to do before thet die.When you participate in this Bosphorus tour,you wont be able to believe in your eyes.,
I really like this post. Thanks for this article, Anyone got any more info about it? I am now your blog’ s rss follower. you are now in my bookmarks.
For information on my own web applications thankyuo would I use the application i used the following web site
Everybody heard’s about jigolo.But everybody doesn’t see it closely.I have discovered the hidden places of İstanbul by the help of this
jigolo.jigololar is the one that everyone wants to do before thet die.When you participate in this jigololar,you wont be able to believe in your eyes.,