INTRODUCTION
The IN/OUT project involves an office « campus », of more than 387 500 square feet. It is located on a former industrial site in Boulogne, at the West of Paris, on the right bank of the Seine River. This factory, which used to manufacture telephone tools in the 1930s, underwent a complete rehabilitation, such as many industrial sites in Boulogne. Société Foncière Lyonnaise (SFL), owner of the building since 1999, has asked DTACC and Jouin Manku to develop an ambitious and creative project. Both agencies offer complementary and creative solutions to reorganize the space dedicated to office work. This unique project includes the major transformation of a seven-storey building into offices, as well as the creation of a brand new wing, dedicated to amenities. The historical building keeps its original industrial character. The new wing has been thought as a serie of living space for employees. The site will combine new and old. As well as a mix of open work spaces combined with services and amenities to make for a very complete yet confortable office complex.
80 YEARS OF HISTORY
Built in 1927 by the architect Adolphe Bocage, this building, a landmark of the golden age of industry, had long been used to produce telephone control units. Located on the banks of the Seine, the site, with nearly 7 acres and a 6-storey building, used to hold the LMT Society (Le Matériel Téléphonique). The building soon became a symbol of industrial innovation. The site had been designed in keeping with the great principles of the Modern Movement in architectureusing simple geometrical shapes, and reinforced concrete. In 1976, Thomson-CSF took control over LMT, who, at the time, employed 10 000 people.
In 1988, seventy years after its construction, Thomson Multimedia transformed the factory into offices and set up its head quarters in the building, until 2009. SFL then decided to restructure the building, aiming for it to become a benchmark in the tertiary sector, focusing on innovation as well as on wellbeing at work. It is this ambitious decision that gave birth to the major IN/OUT project.
The "Bocage" historical building: a landmark of industry, between restructuring and construction.
The site’s new organization
DTACC architecture has chosen to focus on the historical building « BOCAGE » by designing a landscape and garden, in collaboration with landscape designer Pascal GASQUET. A gentle slope now replaces the former parking access ramp. The access and entrance to the building are then in harmony with the whole site, and ensure accessibility to people with disabilities. The new amenities wing, designed by Agence Jouin Manku, has replaced the parking and now stands at the heart of the landscaped garden. DTACC has chosen to remove the original partial glass roof that once fully enclosed the central courtyard of the historical building, to create an open air garden. The new Glass canopy in the central courtyard, designed by Jouin Manku, creates a natural transition between the lobby of the historical building and the amenities wing. The organization and structure of the various spaces, the choice of the different scales, as well as the harmony between mineral and natural elements, give the place its « campus » touch, sought by SFL.
Restructuring the « Bocage » building DTACC architecture
How can a landmark of the industrial landscape of the 1930s, with its historical and architectural identity, be in keeping with the 21st century? How to create a special work environment, which will have more to offer than any other office building? DTACC provided original answers to these major interrogations. From the first sketches, DTACC identified the unique possibilities of this historical site. The agency succeeded in transforming the site, while both respecting its original architectural identity and introducing contemporary elements. The DTACC project reflects all the major stakes of the contemporary use of such a building.
The importance of natural light : transparency and lightness
The façades
DTACC took special care with the adaptation of the front of the building. The windows sills on the ground floor have been removed, to bring greater volume to the site and greater harmony in its proportions. Thanks to the demolition of the SHED’s roof, which used to cover the central atrium of the building, the atrium has been turned into an indoor open air courtyard. The courtyard also holds a garden and the glass canopy designed by the Agence Jouin Manku. All the indoor façades therefore have a morning exposure to the sun, making the office space brighter. The original window bays have been kept. However, DTACC has made some modification in the design and proportions of the window frames; yet their industrial characteristics and colors have not been changed. Energy performance is optimized thanks to the choice of the window frames, which include blinds, thus combining comfort, aesthetics and modern technology. Wooden floors hide the networks and reduce the height of the original window sills, always keeping in mind this idea of space and light.
The domes
Another central point of DTACC’s work on the « Bocage » building is the transformation of the two original domes, which used to be covered with tiles. The new glass domes now offer a breathtaking view on the Saint-Cloud park and the Seine. Visitors will be welcomed in beautiful modern spaces, light is all over the place. This specific part of the project is one of its major features, as this highlights the modernity of the building. The domes will also complete the 6th floor, where the management is located, and which has large terraces facing the Seine and the Saint-Cloud park. At night, the domes, crowning the building, are brought out by the lighting designed by the ACL Agency. They echo the city lights and create a luminous landmark by the Seine.
The vertical circulation spaces
The other major architectural work of DTACC is the transformation of the office spaces, especially through the vertical circulation spaces and service points, which now stand on the inside corners of the courtyard. This has created new circulation spaces around the lobby. In the upper floors, natural light now floods largely into the workspaces. Corridors and stairs are highlighted by a strong yellow color, especially chosen by the Agence Jouin Manku. This creates a contrast with the rest of the building and encourages one to use the stairs as well as the elevators.
The transformation of the lobby: a micro-architecture at the heart of the ‘Bocage’ building by Agence Jouin Manku
On the outside, the ‘Bocage’ building still looks like an industrial fortress from the 1930s. Yet inside, gently perched in the space of the old atrium, Agence Jouin Manku has designed a “soft” space, filled with light, which is one of their trademarks. Visitors enter the building and are welcomed into a vast space, similar to a hotel lobby. At the entrance lies a large oval desk, which leads visitors to what used to be an indoor atrium. In the newly created courtyard, one discovers a surprising micro-architecture: a glass canopy, held up by a series of intertwined wood beams, an ethereal floating lattice, which at one point swoops down and gently balances above the floor. This structural frame was a complex element that required the expertise of TESS, an engineering firm with whom Agence Jouin Manku regularly works. This lobby is the new heart of the ‘Bocage’ building. It is a central meeting point between different spaces. It also invites visitors or employees to have a break. Both simple in its design and complex in its realization, the glass pavilion foretells the bold amenities wing designed by the Agence Jouin Manku.
The amenities wing designed by Agence Jouin Manku
Agence Jouin Manku has conceived the new amenities wing (nearly 40 000 sq ft.), as well as the interior design of the wing. The building has been further developed in collaboration with the engineering office TESS and DTACC architecture. The new wing also holds a series of services and amenities, alongside the workspaces within the ‘Bocage’ building (thus completing the IN/OUT campus). The wing holds: a 103 seats cafe, a 462 seats restaurant, a 200 seats auditorium, as well as corporate board rooms, lounges, 2 large terraces and a fitness center.
A dynamic shape, symbol of an avant-garde building
How can workspaces in big companies be improved? What is missing? This interrogation has guided the design of the amenities wing. Agence Jouin Manku decided to create a very different atmosphere to complement the ‘Bocage’ building. This gives employees a healthy balance between formal and informal, as well as between work and play, an idea at the heart of the In/Out Campus. The structure of the ‘Bocage’ building evokes nostalgia, professionalism and rigor. In contrast, the new wing has been conceived as a building of contemporary architecture, designed around the idea of movement and flow. Its shape has been made to create a series of intertwined spaces. The building is organized around the idea of passage: passing of people, light and air. It is also a place which evokes movement, production, action and dynamism.
The concrete heart: the center of the building
The building is organized around a central tower, made of bush hammered concrete, which holds all vertical circulation. The choice to use concrete for the center of the building was to create a coherence and dialogue with the neighboring ‘Bocage’ building, which is made of the same material and clearly shows its original industrial character. Two wings revolve and wrap around the central tower, but they never meet. Their architectural lines are softer and each wing is a curved form, made of curved glass and vertical wood cladding. The spaces between the concrete center and the wood wings are filled with glass, which allows light to penetrate almost everywhere in the building, vertically or horizontally. On the outside, the density of the vertical wood cladding increases and decreases, depending on its position, and which indoor space it corresponds to. The pattern starts out smoothly, then its texture, created by adding chamfers, changes. These edges catch light differently and create a sense of depth on the façade. Inside, the main materials are wood, bush hammered concrete, plaster and curved glass. The curved wood that wraps a large part of the interior adds to the sense of warmth, while the simple use of glass and concrete add a crisp modernity to the project. A footbridge connects the two buildings. This bridge, made of white painted steel and wood, makes access easy between the two buildings, and acts as a symbolic link between the two architectural signatures, and the birth of a common project.
An architecture inspired by nature: an inside out and outside in design
Inspired by the Saint-Cloud park, the Seine river and the lush nature just close to the site, the amenities pavilion has been designed to allow these elements to penetrate the building, as well as to create spaces that would allow one to enjoy the gardens and terraces, created as an extension of the building. The flowing shapes of the project recall the movements of nature. To underline this idea, the roof of the wing has been designed as a colored envelope wrapping the building. The colored stainless steel tiles were chosen for their particular iridescent character. In front view, the tiles are green, but their color changes as the angle and light move. This gives the building a dynamic and always changing character, echoing the variations in the sky and sunlight.
The insides
The interior design and furniture have been thought out as a continuation of the outside lines of the building. While the central concrete core holds the curved staircase that links the various levels of the building, each level opens out on spaces filled with light: simple yet warm spaces, spaces that open out on terraces and gardens, as well as spaces that invite one to discover the next room. The circulation is therefore fluid, and the connection between each space is harmonious. Employees can thus enjoy each space, and will always be invited to discover the next one.
AN ENVIRONMENTALLY AWARE PROJECT
IN/OUT is a benchmark in terms of environment; it is in keeping with the RT 2012 norms for new buildings. The campus has received French and international certifications: HQE, Effinergie Rénovation (the equivalent of BBC for renovated buildings), BREEAM Very Good and LEED GOLD.
AN ATTRACTIVE LOCATION
Ideally located on the right bank of the Seine, IN/OUT is at the heart of the West of Paris. It is easy to reach, thanks to the metro stops (on lines 9 or 10) which are just a short walk away, the streetcar going from Porte de Versailles to La Défense, buses, embankment roads, beltway and underground parking.
Conclusion
IN/OUT is an ambitious architectural project by DTACC Architecture and Agence Jouin Manku; together, they created two unique buildings for SFL. The campus offers a new approach to workspace based on the ideas of sharing, wellbeing and collective activities. The renovation and construction have greatly improved the campus’ amenities, for the benefit of the futur users . This project also transforms a typical scenery of the Seine river.
