An open competition for the design of the Lyceum was announced by the leadership of the Languedoc-Roussillon region in 2007. According to the customers, the building should contribute to the architectural “self-identification” of the city along with new buildings by Jean Nouvel and Zaha Hadid.
The central object of the complex is the building of the lyceum, which consists of two curved volumes with gunite concrete facades. Inside, students and teachers enter through a "sculptural" arch leading to the courtyard of the educational institution. The volumes are interconnected by several bridges thrown across this green space.
The three-storey building includes a multifunctional hall, an exhibition gallery, administration offices, classrooms, and a dining room. The two-storey building, on the plan similar to the letter Y, contains a hotel with 12 rooms, three restaurants (one of which is "training"), a training bakery and a pastry shop. In addition to these premises, the complex has a dormitory for students for 75 people, ten apartments for executive employees, and a gym. Several sports grounds and an athletics track have been built on the adjacent territory. Photovoltaic panels are mounted on the roof of the three-storey building.
The building cladding consists of 17,000 triangular aluminum panels, each of which is barcoded to accurately locate it during installation. Insolation of the interior of the complex is carried out thanks to 5,000 triangular glass panels, and among them there are not even two alike.
The complex architectural form determined the originality of the inner space of the lyceum: there are no premises of the same configuration. For ease of orientation, each floor is painted in its “own” color.
Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas also created some furniture especially for the school - for example, the reception desk in the main lobby, made of the same materials as the hull of a modern ship.
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