Campus CEA Paris-Saclay Neuroscience Institute Building, Architect, Paris Higher Education Architecture Photos
Campus CEA Paris-Saclay, Neuroscience Institute, France
Paris Education Building Development, France design by Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes
16 Apr 2021
Campus CEA Paris-Saclay, Neuroscience Institute News
Design: Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes together with Celnikier & Grabli Architectes
Location: south of Paris, France
Photos © David Boureau
Campus CEA Paris-Saclay, Neuroscience Institute
A house for researchers and research
The “Plateau de Paris-Saclay” is the upcoming major elite university campus in France. It is the French answer to American universities such as Columbia and Harvard. Situated twenty kilometers south of Paris an international center for technological research is being built on this campus. Over the long-term, nearly three thousand billion euros have been earmarked for this purpose.
The CEA (Commissariat à l’énergie atomique) is a leading research institution in the fields of energy, environment technology and health. In 2013, it has announced an invited competition for a neuroscience institute for about 350 scientists and 40 students. 59 offices applied, and the winning project was designed by Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes, the lead team, together with Celnikier & Grabli Architectes. The building was delivered in March 2020.
Technology and well-being
“It was a challenge to ensure constantly controlled conditions for scientific research,” explains architect Dietmar Feichtinger “and at the same time to create spatial qualities including natural daylight, fresh air and a relationship with the surroundings. We managed to fulfil both aspects with equal priority”. The required areas – research, laboratories, offices, foyer, and auditoriums – are subject to various access restrictions, which result from the coherent organization itself. Three incised and accessible inner courtyards and transparent bridges create work and laboratory spaces lit by daylight, as well as the informal communication areas essential for modern research.
Distorted perception
Surrounded by trees, the Institute of Neurosciences is close to the CEA’s atomic research, which will create synergies. “We wanted to preserve the trees in order to fit the auditorium into the landscape of the campus park and at the same time create a public space” explains Dietmar Feichtinger. The low, triangular-shaped entrance rises to the south of the four-story cubic building, which is 95 meters long and 50 meters wide. It frames a forecourt with a water basin, which follows the axes of the neighboring research buildings.
The roof of the entrance building tapers slightly upwards. Its underside, made of polished stainless steel, reflects the environment in a seemingly distorted perspective. Depending on the angle of view and daylight, it appears different. The changing perception accompanies the path to the entrance of the institute. It is located between the auditorium and the foyer.
The polished stainless steel is reflected in the reception area, a single flight of stairs leads to the gallery on the first floor. Eight meters of room height, corner glazing and oak parquet flooring create a welcoming foyer that also provides access to the auditorium and seminar rooms. This is the Institute’s calling card and its interface with the public: events can be organized in this space, which extends to the forecourt through wide opening glass doors.
The central part for research
A facade of concrete panels and narrow glass slits surrounds the research area behind it. The functioning of neurons is studied on living organisms such as fish. These are kept in aquariums under constant conditions (water temperature, light). This applies to all laboratories with animals. The architects have concentrated these strictly regulated areas, with their high technical requirements, on the ground floor and the basement.
They form the core of the institute: a schematic circuit of the corridors with aquariums, enclosures, and laboratories. Perfect details, coordinated with material and function, characterize the work of Feichtinger Architectes. They were indispensable for this building. The white, seamless machine room for neurological research seems almost abstract – a separate technical floor was incorporated for its operation. A loading area at the back is used for the delivery of animal feed, living organisms and waste collect. Spatial requirements are constantly changing: a supporting structure made of reinforced concrete allows the various entities to be reprogrammed as required.
An optimal workplace and research space
About 350 scientists work on the upper levels. Open rooms with plenty of daylight, beautiful views and generous circulation areas invite for exchange and create optimal working conditions. Informal communication is the basis for scientific innovation. Three inner courtyards with greenery and sun terraces serve as open controlled outdoor spaces. This is where people like to spend time and meet each other. These courtyards also provide natural light for the offices and laboratories in the depth of the building.
Low window parapets of 70 cm enforce the natural light. Open installations run along the exposed concrete ceiling. The offices are equipped with wood fiber based soundproofing panels on the ceiling, welcoming light grey rubber floors. The walls on the corridor side are partially made of glass. This creates a friendly and transparent atmosphere. Here too, flexibility is maximized. “We can transform offices into laboratories and laboratories into offices,” says Feichtinger. The grid, load-bearing access cores and lightweight construction walls make this possible.
The three levels are clearly structured: Along the horizontal window stripes of the facade made of metal panels towards the courtyards and opal glass panels towards the outside, the offices and laboratories are aligned along a bright central corridor, from which two further corridors run at right angles. These corridors are connected by glass walkways to the offices and laboratories opposite.
“The building is very efficient,” says Feichtinger. “The walkways create short connecting paths.” The interwoven wings with the footbridges divide the open interior space into three courtyards. Approximately 15 meters wide and 24 meters long, they move diagonally through the volume of the building, slightly offset from each other.
Thus, they respond to the different depths of the office areas, create individual locations, and allow to explore the building via the open spaces. “People who are researching here should meet each other – that’s why we have attractive outdoor patios, where you can also work of course”, says Dietmar Feichtinger. The access areas are very attractively designed. Through the glazed walkway you can see the yards, the wide staircases and the galleries. “You’re not necessarily supposed to wait for the lift, you’re invited to walk up the stairs.”
As Dietmar Feichtinger stated: “Ensuring constantly controlled conditions for scientific research was a technical challenge. We also wanted to create spatial qualities such as natural daylight, fresh air, and a relation to the surrounding. We fulfill both aspects with equal priority”.
Campus CEA Paris-Saclay, Neuroscience Institute – Building Information
Project: Projekt Campus CEA Paris-Saclay | Neuroscience Institute
Address: CEA Saclay, R.D 306, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette
Client/Address: CEA – Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives
Bat 530, PC n° 98, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Architect: Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes
Architect Dipl.-Ing. Dietmar Feichtinger, mandataire, lead
80 rue Edouard Vaillant, 93100 MONTREUIL
Celnikier et Grabli Architectes, Architectes Cotraitants, associated architect
1 boulevard de Ménilmontant, 75011 PARIS
Engineers
Bet
Statik INGEROP, BET
Contractors
Entreprise (Groupement)
Baugesellschaft ML1 : Leon Grosse
ML2 : Castel Alu
ML3 : Ridoret
ML4 : Engie Axima
ML5 : TTI
Lot6 : Euro-ascenseurs
Lot7 : Gema
Lot8 : Hytec
Lot9 : Dagard
Lot10 : Delagrave
Lot11 : Matachana
Site area:
Campus Paris-Saclay
– territoire de Paris-Saclay
Floor area:
SU: 19 046,78 m²
SP: 16 653 m²
Built-up area:
Emprise au sol de l’opération: 6480 m²
Surface Parking : 1464 m²
Surface Parvis : 3741.1 m²
Time Schedule
Competition: 27 01 2014
Start of planning: 06 2014
Start of construction: 04 2016
Completion: 03 2020
Building costs: 34 395 000 €
Main elements of the programme:
Multi-species terrestrial and aquatic animal houses, conventional level, A2 and EOPS
Research centres dedicated to the study of behaviour, development, evolution and modelling
Scientific platforms linked to external teams
Teaching and communication centre
Photography © David Boureau
Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes
Campus CEA Paris-Saclay, Neuroscience Institute images / information received 160421 from Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes
Location: Paris, France
New Paris Architecture
Contemporary Paris Architecture
Paris Architecture Design – chronological list
Groupe Scolaire Dunoyer de Segonzac, Antony, Antony, Hauts-de-Seine, southern suburbs of Paris, France
Design: Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes
photo © David Boureau
Groupe Scolaire Dunoyer de Segonzac, Antony
Architecture Tours in Paris by e-architect
Edison Lite, 71 avenue Edison, 75013 Paris
Design: Manuelle Gautrand Architecture
photo © Luc Boegly
Edison Lite Homes Paris
2024 Paris Olympics’ Aquatic Center
Design: MAD Architects ; Jacques Rougerie Architecture ; Atelier Phileas Architecture ; Apma Architecture
image courtesy of MIR
2024 Paris Olympics Aquatic Center
Paris architect office contact details
Comments / photos for the Campus CEA Paris-Saclay, Neuroscience Institute – New South Paris Education Architecture page welcome
Website: Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes