STATUS
IN CONSTRUCTION
CLIENT
Sorbonne Université
TYPOLOGY
Education
SIZE M2/FT2
15,992 / 172,136
SHARE
The new multidisciplinary research center of Sorbonne University, located between Jean Nouvel’s Institut du Monde Arabe and the open green park of Sorbonne’s Jussieu Campus will become a significant addition to the campus, strengthening the international appeal and openness of the leading French University for Science and Medicine. The facility will bring together academic scholars and the business community, while re-connecting the university physically and visually with the city of Paris.
Located in the visual axis of the Notre Dame Cathedral in a dense context of university buildings from different historical periods, BIG proposes a building geometry that adapts to the specific conditions of all adjoining sides, optimized for daylight, views and accessibility. The three-dimensional envelope retracts from the neighboring facades, opens up towards the Mohammed V Square and the park, and folds into a publicly accessible rooftop landscape, resulting in an adapted sculptural building volume.
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A central canyon provides daylight and a visual connection between laboratories and offices. In the atrium a cascade of informal meeting spaces lead to the public rooftop terrace and faculty club. A public stair to the rooftop offers glimpses into the activities of the laboratories which are divided by transparent walls throughout the building to ensure visual connections between the working spaces. The upper levels have panoramic views towards the Notre Dame and the skyline of Paris.
Context
— A dense site between the famous Albert Grid the Cassan building and the Institute Monde Arabe. The site connects IMA square to the park, and fills the space of the originally planned green axis of the Jussieu Campus.
Extrusion
— The maximum building envelope forms a building volume with deep floor plans and facades oriented directly towards the neighboring buildings with only few meters distance.
Courtyard
— The center of the building is subtracted to become an atrium maximizing daylight and circulation. Offices are facing outwards with natural ventilation. Laboratories with mechanical ventilation are organized towards the atrium forming a center of visually connected spaces.
Inclined roof
— The fifth façade of the building envelope, the roof, is inclined to connect the building heights of the Cassian Building and the Albert Grid.
The fifth façade of the building envelope, the roof, is inclined to connect the building heights of the Cassian Building and the Albert Grid.
— The building envelope is pushed in to keep the distance towards the apartments in the Albert Grid. Improving the daylight and view conditions for both apartments and offices.
Deformation towards the Cassan
— Towards the Cassan building the façade is pulled back in each corner in a similar way to keep the distance, improve daylight and views for both buildings.
daylight & views
— Deformed by the pressure of the surrounding buildings, the resulting volume is wedged into the dense context, and avoids blocking the views of the green axis. The envelope creates sculptural passages with views of the park and Notre Dame Cathedral.
Deformation towards Notre Dame
— The façade facing the square is angled 5 degrees, creating a mirror image of the skyline of Paris and the Notre Dame visible from the IMA square.
Opening towards square
— The building volume is lifted in the corner creating a public entrance and visually connecting the atrium with the square.
Opening towards Park
— Towards the park the envelope is pushed in slightly to create a canopy above the entrance to the conference facilities.
Folded ground floor
— The public ground floor containing the café, the book store and the conference facilities, becomes a folded carpet connecting the different height levels of the park, the plinth, and the square.
Connection to elevated plinth
— Visually, the ground floor links the plinth to the street level, and strengthens the connection between the Jussieu Campusand the urban flow of the city.
Canyon
— The grand atrium becomes a sculptural daylit canyon - a physical and visual meeting point connecting all users of the building, promoting exchange and sharing between researchers, companies and visitors.
Functions
— The laboratories and offices are located on the regular floor plans between the public levels at ground floor and the roof.
Cité de l’innovation Sorbonne Université
— The open space of the atrium and the public accessible recreational rooftop relinks the park and the square in a continuous green axis, following the original intensions of the masterplan.
“Like a scientific incubator, Cité de l’innovation Sorbonne Université will provide the physical environment for nurturing growth of cultures and sharing of ideas - through the internal mix of laboratories, research facilities and informal meeting spaces, and through a reunification with the public life of the city."
The iconic view of the Notre Dame cathedral is not only brought into the daily life of the building though the large panoramic windows, but the façade facing Mohammed V Square is also slightly angled, so a mirror image of the cathedral becomes visible from eyelevel on the square – connecting the innovation center visually to its iconic location.
Bjarke Ingels Finn Nørkjær Daniel Sundlin Andreas Klok Pedersen Jakob Sand Aimee Louise Desert Alexander Codda Alex Bogdan Ritivoi Amro Abdelsalam Andrea Hektor Andy Coward Andrea Angelo Suardi Bernhard Touzet Bjarke Koch-Ørvad Boris Kadiyski Cæcilie Søs Brandt-Olsen Duncan Horswill Elena Bresciani Ewa Zapiec Fabio Garau Filip Fot Filip Rozkowski Francisco Castellanos Francois Ducatez Gabrielle Nadeau Gerhard Pfeiler Jonathan Russell Lucie Krulichova Matteo Baggiarini Michael Leef Nanna Gyldholm Møller Quentin Blaising Robert Grimm Roberto Fabbri Sergiu Calacean Simona Reiciunaite Sorcha Burke Timo Harboe Nielsen Tobias Hjortdal Gül Ertekin Andreas Bak Alexandre Carpentier Antonina Tsepurnohh Camille Crepin Edouard Boisse Robinson Neuville Tiina Liisa Juuti Yang Du Jose Ignacio Balaguer Palacios Edward Durie Ricardo Candel Janis Bronka Thomas Lejeune Emma Isabelle Olsson Ingrid Albina Oliva Lampa Jean Paysant Jesús Fernández Fraile Lore Vyfeyken Alžbeta Hlinová
COLLABORATORS
SPAN
OXO Architectes
Igrec Ingnierie
Bureau Michel Forgue
Franck Boutté Consultants
Theatre Projects
Geoff McFetridge
