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Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. Hérouville-Saint-Clair Hotel in Basse-Normandie, France by Platform ArchitecturesDecember 4th, 2012 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: Platform Architectures The development that completes the urban composition programme of the town of Hérouville-Saint-Clair is an enterprise centre to the west of the Place de l’Europe. The requirements of the programme – the local employment centre, a business incubator and a restaurant – imposed constraints on the layout of the centre that were overcome by the three primary volumes being assembled in an apparent imbalance.  Image Courtesy © Jérome Ricolleau
 Image Courtesy © Jérome Ricolleau The symbolic element of the project, the subtle game of piling up and shifting masses, generates an unease in the spectator: it is a delicate attack on the basic laws of gravity. The building is designed to be read from two perspectives: firstly there is the base, which follows the lines of force of the town and landscape, and then there is the assumed and asserted verticality.
 Image Courtesy © Jérome Ricolleau The facade of the building brings urban and architectural objectives into convergence, and even those of sustainable development. The horizontal strata of brass-coloured aluminium integrate with the lines of the sun screens in a vertical arrhythmia, optimising thermal control and protection against the sun within the building.  Image Courtesy © Jérome Ricolleau NOTE OF INTENT Nearly fifty years after the laying of the foundation stone of what was still a new city, the heart of the city of Hérouville Saint-Clair, finishes his composition by urban development on the place of Europe.  Image Courtesy © Jérome Ricolleau Creating a business hotel on this place is a symbolic act : – At an urban level, because of the situation of the building in the city, and because of the corporate image it returns, this building should indeed be a strong signal figure of a ” door “opening on the pedestrian crossing routes the citadel from West to East.  Image Courtesy © Jérome Ricolleau – At an architectural level, around notions of identity, generosity, openness, modernity and poetry, but also rationality, sustainability and economic performance.  Image Courtesy © Jérome Ricolleau Programmatic constraints related to the three sub-programs have pushed us to imagine a volumetric distribution relatively simple by assembling three main volumes:  Image Courtesy © Jérome Ricolleau – Above, from second and three and a half levels, at the corner of the square, is positioning the business incubator.  Image Courtesy © Jérome Ricolleau This assembly, with its masses of balance, is the strong symbolic element of the project. This subtle stacks and offsets of different volumes, level by level, generates disorder for the visitor: it is a fine achievement for elementary laws of gravity.  Image Courtesy © Jérome Ricolleau A double reading of the building is proposed: a base part of the lines of force and urban landscape, with a verticality assumed and claimed. This is operative due to the height of the building, its relatively slender proportions, but also the subtle interplay of the front and lame breezes suns. Signal strength comes from its height as well as the apparent feeling of imbalance. We designed this hotel as a business object predominantly urban, but takes its architectural autonomy by writing strong architectural volumes.  Image Courtesy © Jérome Ricolleau Writing facade of this building follows a basic principle: the convergence of objectives, whether urban, architectural or related to sustainable development. This building is draped by metal sun screens. The lay horizontal integration allows breezes suns, arrhythmia following these vertical horizontal lines. These facades aluminum powder coated color “brass”, beyond their aesthetic force, also produce a high thermal efficiency and a perfect sun protection.  Image Courtesy © Jérome Ricolleau The symbolic power of the building is also based on notions of constructive rigors. The rationality of the column-beam concrete structure, regularly screened on 5.40m, allows complete modularity of the building.  Image Courtesy © Jérome Ricolleau Constructive rationality is at the heart of our concerns. The apparent lopsidedness of the master volume is not structural effect: they are only metal elements lightweight, sunshades, façade are reported in this volume singularity. This rationality is our assurance of economic performance and durability of the building.  Plan : Image Courtesy Platform Architectures The project is part of a sustainable development and environmental quality. In our approach we favored the use of passive systems to meet the challenges of thermal comfort and energy consumption.  Façade east : Image Courtesy Platform Architectures  Façade : Image Courtesy Platform Architectures  Coupe Longitudinale : Image Courtesy Platform Architectures
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Tags: Basse-Normandie, France Category: Hotel |
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