The preservation of archives is a meticulous and wise work of "boxing". Beautiful boxes, properly designed that express the great value of their content. From boxes, buildings become showcases.

Our city-scale project expresses three "beautiful boxes" containing other boxes, the archive rooms, containing themselves small boxes, the archive documents.

The cubic volumes of our project are made with precious materials, stone, copper and glass, which reflect the functions of the building : a pedestal level made of black granite laid down in horizontal lees, central volumes containing the archives coated with a gold metal and composed of aluminum and copper alloy sheets, to which a stamping gives its texture (this material is perennial, retains its appearance and gloss over time and, in its lightness, opposes the massiveness of the volumes), a coronation or attic level, sheltering the offices, consisting of a double skin glazed and ventilated, like a precious lid coming to cover and protect the treasure.

The proposed construction principle is a concrete frame (walls and floors) covered by a light insulating facade itself covered with a copper alloy shaped into folded and stamped cassettes. This outer skin is about 80 cm distant from the concrete walls, which represents a technical void, or plenum, allowing the air to circulate at slow speeds, which will sweep the archive rooms and ensure perfect protection against light, ambient hygrothermal and safety.

The choice to implement this program south of Part-Dieu district, in a changing area, close to universities and correctly served by the tramway. It is a part of the broader cultural offer. The particular situation of the plot, between the railway line where TGV trains connecting Lyon with Europe and an urban boulevard to become, puts this equipment in the city in a privileged way. It is also part of the programming and regeneration work of the Part Dieu district developed by Grand Lyon. In particular, it reinforces the goal of "a cultural path" where public and cultural facilities mark and enrich the uses and practices of this district, which is expected to grow. In short, allow to people to live fully this nerve center of the agglomeration.