Cap Constellation
CAP CONSTELLATION
PPA
ARCHITECTS
PPA
PHOTOGRAPHS
Philippe Ruault
AREA
13000.0 m2
YEAR
2009
LOCATION
Somalia
CATEGORY
Office Buildings
Text description provided by architect.
Located in the town of Blagnac in a mixed development zone, the ZAC Andromède programme consists of a large office complex combining the formal elegance of a building with practical designs for its work spaces.
With space for around a thousand employees near the Toulouse aeronautics centre, the building stands in a reconstituted natural park with which it had to relate meaningfully, in accordance with Haute Qualité Environnementale eco-quality standards.
To achieve this and to respond to the conventional and functional identity of this kind of project with a true architectural statement, we decided to find a way of ensuring the generic building fully articulated with its unique context.
We mainly focused our attention on the external layout of the building. At first glance, it is simple to read: on the street side, a long rectangular block made of glass on a metal base, raised from ground level, clearly states the identity of the place.
The fact that it is raised gives this "window" an airy quality that is further reinforced by its transparency. Seen from the front, it truncates and conceals the base of two symmetrical blocks, contributing to an overall sense of lightness. A wide passageway cut out of the centre of the façade leads to the heart of the complex.
This passageway, a transition between exterior and interior, draws public space into private space. Visitors and staff are taken into a courtyard, in the classical sense of the term, inside which planted islands and a restaurant overlooking both park and garden are conducive to relaxation and friendly interaction.
Seen from this courtyard, the design takes on a very different dimension. The two blocks are now seen in their entirety. The adjustable aluminium slats that make up the façades have a dual fonction: they efficiently protect the offices from direct sunlight, and give each façade a polymorphous, vibrant feel.
Strongly contemporary in its design, Cap Constellation shows how much attention has been paid to both common spaces and the quality of its environmental credentials.
