The project involved coordinating three urban blocks with eleven buildings forming part of Herzog & de Meuron’s masterplan for the second phase of Lyon’s extension into La Confluence. David Chipperfield Architects also designed three of these buildings – a social housing block, an office building, and a mixed-use tower – all of which are now complete.
Focussing on social and environmental sustainability, the three blocks contain a range of housing tenures, offices and a health centre. The buildings are grouped to define garden courtyards with landscaped pedestrian passageways creating routes through the site.
In line with the wider masterplan, all buildings feature mineral façades, yet each structure maintains a distinct character. The social housing building is constructed from cross laminated timber wrapped in a precast concrete façade. The mixed-use tower contains offices on the lower floors and apartments above, while the office building is designed for flexibility and a potential future conversion into apartments, ensuring its long-term sustainability.
Aires Mateus, Atelier VERA & Associés Architectes, and AIA Architectes also contributed to the site.
Image © Simon Menges