Rennes, France
Coordinated by Julien De Smedt JDSA, together with local architects Maurer & Gilbert and Paris offices SMAC and Think Tank, the set of new buildings on the Blériot-Féval site for Samsic Groupe and Bati Armor includes a mixed building (hotel, employment center, restaurant), an apartment building, the corporate headquarters, and a housing tower.
The Blériot-Féval site hosts an ensemble of new buildings located next to the station inaugurated in July 2019.
The city’s express train connections have cut travel times to its neighbors and the capital by nearly half, enthusing many to develop business with or relocate to Brittany’s epicenter.
The Féval Tower acts as the masterplan’s geographic center.
The project promotes densification as a response to urban sprawl.
The tower proposal manipulates the masterplan’s density to unfold a stepped public space on the ground level that invites the pedestrians to climb its base.
This principle frees the views and optimizes the contribution of natural light.
Commercial on ground and office on 1st will compose this base, while the residential program starts its rise up from the 2nd floor, where the tower is most slender.
Resonating Rennes’ half-timbering heritage, the tower thickens as it climbs upwards, to finally reach its maximum girth on level 12.
The building then resumes its ascension, mimicking its lower counterpart up to the 21st floor, and finally soars straight up to its 27th floor, offering over 210 new homes to Rennes’ residents.
At the heart of the building, a large central crossing atrium connects the two buildings. It is both the place to welcome visitors and meet employees.
At the heart of the building, a large central crossing atrium connects the two buildings.
It is both the place to welcome visitors and meet employees. Along the rue de l’Alma, a landscaped double skin enlivens the facade at street level while protecting the offices from the urban bustle.
This is where a lush community park sets a pause to the rise and welcomes the building’s inhabitants to a panoramic view of the city’s skyline under the shade of trees.
Project: Îlots Féval et Blériot, EuroRennes
Architects: JDSA Architects in collaboration with Maurer & Gilbert, SMAC, and Think Tank
Client: Samsic Groupe and Bati Armor
