LYON CONFLUENCE LYON, France 2005—2010 Client Bouwfonds Marignan Immobilier
Masterplan Massimiliano Fuksas HTVS Clement Vergely Enzo Amantea
Architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas
Contractors Inox facades: Raimond Aluminium facades: Acem Reinforced concrete: Lamy, Eab Frames: Mbe, PrincepsRaimond Structures MARTIN CETIS ARCADIS Engineering BERGA PRELEM HQE Terao Area Residences: 28,955 sq. m. Commerce: 1,807 sq. m.
Quite apart from the major infrastructures planned for the site, the Lyon Confluence is first and foremost a place of great intrinsic appeal in a beautiful natural setting, with the green hill of Sainte-Foy behind, the Rhône and Saône on either side, and the old centre of Lyon, steeped in history, a short distance away. The project began with a feasibility study for the construction of a residential complex around two large, interconnecting empty spaces – the park and the old river port area – which form the backbone of the project. In deciding where to position the buildings, priority was given to longitudinal flow through the park to the dock. A secondary configuration of empty spaces between the buildings forms the heart of the complex. The central area was left open on the west side facing the hill, and since the empty spaces between the buildings are never aligned, they generate multiple lines of sight towards the park and port. All the buildings occupy interstices where light from the empty spaces picks out the solids and voids. In the constant play of light on the buildings’ shimmering surfaces, rotations and distortions of volume create blocks of material resembling habitable sculptures. The buildings in the old port are literal and poetical renderings of dockside cranes and containers, a reminder that the area was once a fully operational river port. The result is piece of city whose colours and materials are mirrored in the water, creating a multitude of reflections and vibrations. The volumes of the building that closes off the park in the direction of Rue Denuzière open like a chest-of-drawers towards the warm western sun and the green hill of Sainte-Foy. Everything plays a part the bustling life of the ever-changing city, responsive to the shimmering light that hides, highlights and changes the aspect of the different buildings.
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