Architect(s): LCR Architectes
Address: Avenue Gaston Phoebus, 64231, LESCAR, France
Latitude/Longitude: 43.332946,-0.452248
Photographs: Sylvain Mille
The renovation of headquarters of the group EURALIS had to integrate and represent the ambition of a total rehabilitation operation, affirming the identity of the group and providing an uncompromising functionality. The existing building covering an area of 8000m² and dating from the 70s, has been completely renovated, redistributed, recladed and remodeled.
The facades display the duality of environmental responsible technology and aesthetic resulting from its simplicity. Rather than designing the skin of the two towers as a composition of juxtaposed elements, glass against solid panels, walls against windows, transparency against opacity, the architects decided to resolve these opposing forces in a continuous spectrum assembling glass panels ranging from transparent to reflective color.
Built in 1975, the headquarters was no longer compatible with the requirements of today’s standards. The aim of the operation was to save the half the energy consumption. Indeed, the group leaders had been alerted in 2007 about the importance of the annual costs of operation and maintenance difficulties related to the age of the buildings. EURALIS has also sought to improve the comfort of his employees, people were at the centre the renovation project.
The suspended EURALIS towers gather together 11 floors. They embody the historical identity of the group EURALIS and provide for 35 years already a strong landmark at the entrance to the town of Lescar from its south-west boundary.
The hypothesis of a demolition and reconstruction was immediately abandoned because beyond its historical identity appearance, the new urban height regulation limit is a floor lower. Moreover, the building had some architectural qualities, especially due to its particular concrete structure. LCR ARCHITECTES thus focused on the preservation of the towers. The special care provided to their facades seemed essential both in terms of consistency cityscape and as corporate identity.
Text description provided by the architects.
Area: 86455ft²
Contributed by LCR Architectes
