Île Seguin
Context
The project was designed by the Catalan studio RCR Arquitectes, who were awarded the Pritzker 2017 prize, and was characterised by a mixture of material that evoke the industrial past of Île Seguin. The façade combines weathering steel and anodised aluminium sheeting, with a design reminiscent of the old Renault car factory that used to occupy the island. The project also includes large green spaces and a panoramic terrace of 1,200 square metres, integrating the structure into its natural and urban setting.
Scope
The project consisted of the construction of one of the most important cultural centres in Europe, with an investment of over 400 million euros. It includes a hotel oriented to contemporary creation, one of the largest cinemas in Paris with 8 screening rooms and an IMAX room, and over 16,000 square metres of offices and spaces for cultural companies and industries. The building façade will have 15,000 square metres of curtain wall and 6,000 square metres of metal railing were installed, using specific and exclusive materials for this project.
Challenge
One of the major challenges of the project was the integral design of the aluminium profiling, which required the creation of over 50 matrices solely for the profile extrusions. Many tests and trials were also carried out at the Aluman LAB to guarantee the resistance and behaviour of the façade in different situations of stress such as wind, permeability, watertightness and impact resistance. The logistical coordination for delivery and assembly also represented a significant challenge, to ensure that each phase of the project was completed as per the planned schedule.
