The project for the building of the Institute of Genetic Diseases of the Imagine Foundation, developed by Jean Nouvel and Bernard Valero, is presented to the public. The structure resembling a glass ship will be erected on the territory of the Necker hospital in Paris. The construction site is located at the corner of Boulevard Montparnasse and rue du Cherche-Midi, in the 15th arrondissement. Founded here in 1778 by Madame Necker, wife of the Minister of Finance Louis XVI, the famous hospital has earned international recognition in many branches of medicine, in particular in biomedical research. The construction of the new institute will continue this glorious tradition.
The core of Jean Nouvel's architectural composition was a spacious atrium flooded with natural light, around which premises with a total area of 19 thousand m2 were planned. Through the transparent facades, researchers and visitors will be able to admire the park surrounding the building, and from the balconies of the laboratories - the garden in the courtyard of the institute.
Jean Nouvel, best known for his projects for theaters and museums, often invents unusual façade solutions. In the new building, the façade glazing will be 27 meters high and will be made of etched glass panels. This kind of "glass mosaic", reminiscent of the DNA code, will symbolically illustrate the purpose of the institute - the study and fight against genetic diseases.
In addition to research laboratories that will study the problems of genetics and heredity, the Institute will include a large clinic with patient rooms, a biological resources center, eleven specialized departments for rare diseases, a biostatistics center and a conference room on the top floor. Upon completion of construction in 2013, more than 400 scientists, doctors, engineers will be able to work within the walls of the institution.
The total budget will be around 60 million euros. "The authors of the project have created a spectacular architectural concept that involves active interaction between different teams of scientists," - comment the representatives of the Imagine Foundation.
E. P.
