Location: Lyons, France.
Architect: Jakob + Macfarlane Architects.
The goal of the urban planning project for the old harbor area, created by VNF (Voies Naviguables de France) in collaboration with Caisse des Dépôts and Sem Lyon Confluence, was to reinvest the Lyon docks along the river and its industrial heritage by fusing architecture with a commercial and cultural program.
These docks, which were originally made of storage facilities (la Sucrière, les Douanes, les Salins, la Capitainerie), cranes, and other river-related functional features, change into an experimental zone to produce a new environment that is oriented toward the river and the hills in the vicinity.
The proposal is envisioned as a straightforward, orthogonal “cube” with a massive hole cut out of it to accommodate the needs of views, airflow, and light. The structure is pierced horizontally from the riverside inside and upwards by this hole, which extends through the roof terrace.
The cube emphasizes the independence of the Salins building, which is the current hall. It is built on five standard concrete pillars that measure 29 by 33 meters.
Another façade, punctured with pixelated patterns that mimic the motion of the river, completes a light façade with what appear to be random apertures. Lead paint, an industrial pigment frequently used for harbor zones, is referenced by the color orange.
Jakob + MacFarlane used a series of volumetric perturbations, connected to the removal of three “conic” volumes positioned on three levels: the angle of the façade, the roof, and the level of the entry, in order to produce the void. Within a typical office program, these disturbances create spaces and relationships between the building, its occupants, the location, and the light source.
