Station F, for 1,000 startups, is open in a historic transshipment warehouse at Austerlitz train station, right next to the new National Library of France complex. "Warehouse Freyssinet" (Halle Freyssinet), named after its creator, the outstanding engineer Eugene Freyssinet, was built in the 1920s using innovative technology at that time; in particular, its slabs made of prestressed concrete in some areas - no more than five centimeters in thickness. It was this 310 mx 58 m building that was chosen by the famous entrepreneur and investor in the field of digital technologies, billionaire Xavier Niel to host the future campus.
On an area of 34,000 m2, three zones are located along the central axis: Share, Create, Chill. The first houses six of the eight campus classrooms, including the main 370-seat classroom, a laboratory with 3D printers, laser machines, etc. run by Techshop Ateliers Leroy Merlin, meeting rooms of various sizes. The anti-cafe and "post office" created in the same place are open to the public. Around the building, which has had the status of a monument since 2012, there is a park, an esplanade, and pedestrian paths; also made two passages through the building, connecting the surrounding parts of the city with each other.
Create is actually a zone for a thousand startups with 3,036 jobs. In addition to aspiring entrepreneurs, there are offices of Amazon Web Services and other large companies. The central space is a multifunctional public area, around 24 start-up "villages", eight on a tier.
The Chill section is occupied by a 1000-seat Italian restaurant from the popular Big Mamma chain. It opens these days, while the three business towers Station F (collective housing for 100 apartments and 600 people) will be commissioned in the summer of 2018. They are located 10 minutes walk from the campus.
Station F, open to young entrepreneurs from all over the world (you just need to pass the competition), from the very beginning attracted the attention of the French authorities at the highest level: the ceremony of laying the first stone was attended by the then President of the country François Hollande, and the campus was opened by his successor Emmanuel Macron.
