The project of an architectural school is probably the most serious challenge for any professional architect, because such a building immediately becomes a manifesto, an action program, a vector of development. And, of course, the current and future professionals inhabiting it will notice any even the smallest miscalculation of designers and builders. But all this did not frighten the bureau Lacaton & Vassal Architectes, and they passed the exam in the subject of "designing an architectural university" with excellent marks.
The ordering party for the educational institution, designed for 1000 students, was the Ministry of Culture and Mass Communications of France. Only 18 million euros were allocated from the budget to finance the project, so the issue of saving money was quite relevant, which partly determined the choice of materials, as well as the simplicity and brevity of the architectural solution.
The building is formed by three "slabs" - 9, 16 and 22 meters high. Due to their slight slope, they serve as a ramp and become a link between land, water (Nantes is located in the floodplain of the Loire River), urban development and the sky. Light steel structures zone the interior spaces, and the almost completely glass façade makes the building as open as possible.
The terms of reference provided for the creation of 15150 sq.m. areas are classrooms, a library, exhibition spaces and school administration offices. But Lacaton & Vassal Architectes were able to significantly increase the usable area of the building due to additional free-use premises (4430 sq.m.) as well as external terraces (5305 sq.m.). Students and their teachers are invited to think over and set the further development of these internal spaces for themselves.
The authors of the project have created an almost neutral environment. And it is precisely this lack of external pressure, coupled with the proposed variety of volumetric-spatial solutions, should, according to their plan, provoke the creative energy of future architects.
