STATUS
IN DESIGN
CLIENT
Metropole Rouen Normandie
TYPOLOGY
Hospitality
SIZE M2/FT2
11,500 / 123,800
SHARE
Located by the Seine riverfront, Rouen’s new congress center, nicknamed The Sail, is envisioned as a public meeting place that connects the city to the water. The center will house two auditoriums, exhibition halls, a restaurant, multipurpose meeting rooms and back-of-house spaces, contributing to the city’s cultural and economic development.
The Sail is designed to achieve Passivhaus certification for highly energy-efficient buildings.
The timber structure and facades draw on Rouen’s tradition of half-timbered houses, while the roofline recalls the sails of its maritime history. From the city side, the PV-covered roof hovers above a new public forecourt that extends the urban fabric to the river. The forecourt combines open plazas paved in local stone with pockets of planting and trees, creating shaded gathering areas and green buffers around the building. Rainwater collected from the roof irrigates the planting, while paths connect the site with its surroundings and guide visitors to the entrances.
PROGRAM DISTRIBUTION
— The distribution of the program directs visitor circulation toward the garden, while logistical circulation is organized along the road.
ADAPTION TO CONTEXT
— The volume is consolidated to free up as much green space on the plot as possible. The exhibition hall, lobby and auditorium are kept at ground level, while the restaurant is located on the first floor - offering open views towards the Seine.
TWO SCALES AND TWO SPEEDS
— From the motorway, the building presents a single, flowing silhouette. At human scale, the form breaks down into smaller elements and planted areas, creating calmer routes and gathering spaces.
OPTIMIZATION OF THE ROOF
— The shape and orientation of the roof are optimized to ensure the maximum amount of solar exposure for the PVs.
SHELTERED ON ALL SIDES
— The building is positioned to form an acoustic barrier from the highway, creating a sheltered pedestrian side and opening towards the park.
THE SAIL
— The building integrates with the site through fluid connections between inside and outside, fostering spaces for movement and gathering.
“Rising along the Seine, The Sail introduces a new silhouette to Rouen with its sweeping roofline paying tribute to the city’s naval heritage and historic skyline of spires. The building greets visitors from the highway with a vertical façade, while on the city side, the roof creates sheltered canopies extending the foyer into a human-scaled public landscape. Built with mass timber construction, daylight-optimized interiors and an energy-producing roof, it is both a low-impact infrastructure and a cultural hub - offering an inclusive space for Rouen and its visitors.”
Inside, a spacious foyer serves as the building’s central square, filled with natural light. A grand staircase connects the foyer to the main auditorium, while overlapping levels create visual connections between the different program areas.
Bjarke Ingels Jakob Sand Lawrence-Olivier Mahadoo Marie Lançon Monika Dauksaite Kasia Wieprow Anastasiia Golub Matthew Goodwill Hyun Woo Cho
COLLABORATORS
BLP & associés
Egis
Ducks Scéno
Elioth
Bloom Landscape
Marshall Day Acoustics
8'18 lumière
BMF
Nicolas Mayeur
