Cite du Design

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Project Name: Cite du Design
Construction year: 2009
Website: www.citedudesign.com
Address: 3, Rue Javelin-Pagnon , SAINT-ÉTIENNE - France

Architect(s) : LIN Architects (www.lin-a.com)
Project Category: Cultural

Latitude: 45.4492
Longitude: 4.38509

Cite du Design

Cite du Design Another shining beacon for green architecture and energy conservation, the Cite du Design in Saint Etienne has just opened its green gates for the world to step into and the view of this grand facade is truly mesmerizing for environmentalists and commoners alike. Designed by LIN, the energy efficient Cite du Design is powered by a vast solar roof that drives the energy needs inside and is supplemented by a heat exchange and recovery system to reduce energy used for heating. The €41.5 million latest eco friendly design consists of a latticed 3D external wall that is composed up of 14,000 equilateral triangles. These triangular blocks act both as heat and light regulators along with some of them converting the solar power into electricity. To further reduce its energy needs the Cité du Design pre-conditioned air from the internal gardens is circulated throughout to ensure that the heating needs of the building are kept to a minimum. Integrating old with the new and the traditional with the energy-efficient, the latest symmetric solar marvel of Saint-Etienne is alluring both for lovers of design and energy conservation. Merging visual delight with green needs, the complex of auditoriums, meeting rooms, exhibition space, media library, and indoor gardens with an observation tower, Cité du Design is another shining jewel in the eco-architecture crown.

Contributed by ArchiTeam

INFORMATION

The Cite du design is accessible to people with restricted mobility.

Opening hours: Exhibitions + bookshop Tuesday – Sunday: 10.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m Closed on: 1st January, 1st May, 8th May, 14th July, 15th August, 11th November and 25th December. Library, Materials ressource centre and greenhouse Monday – Thursday: 10.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m Friday: 10.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m Observatory tower Open the 1st Sunday of the month. 10.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.

Admissions: Exhibitions (individual visit) Full rate : € 4 Reduced rate : € 2 (with documentary evidence)For students, unemployed persons, disabled persons, holders of M'Ra card, famille nombreuse card, over 65s, under 26s, and groups of 10 or more. Free ticket : (with documentary evidence) for children under 12, ESADSE students, holders of Sainté Pass12-25 and teacher Free for all every 1st Sunday of the month Guided visits (on French only) : Full rate : € 5,60 Reduced rate : € 4,10 euros. Guided visits on every 1st Sunday of the month are free.

Client: Saint-Etienne Metropole
Team: Architects: LIN Finn Geipel + Giulia Andi, Berlin/Paris with:
Philip König, Stefan Jeske (Project Managers), Jan-Oliver Kunze, Judith Stichtenoth, Francois Maisonnasse, Muriel Poncet, Marielle Gilibert, Heiko Walth;
Assitants to the execution of construction: Benjamin Wallerand, Lyon, Maurice Guitton, Lyon; Local architect: Dominique Berger, Cabinet Berger, Saint-Étienne; Structure : Werner Sobek + Thomas Winterstetter, WSI, Stuttgart/New York; Engineering: Fréderique Binvignat + Christian Desquiens, BETOM Ingénierie, Corbas; Climate engineering: Matthias Schuler + Arnaud Billard, Transsolar, Stuttgart/New York; Economy: Pierre Dumond + Alain Baland, Cyprium, Lyon; Acoustics: Richard Denayrou + Emily Morin, Altia Acoustique, Paris; Scenography: Gérard Fleury , Architecture & Technique, Paris; Lighting: Andy Sedgwick + Jeff Shaw, Ove Arup, London; Landscape architecture: Clément Willemin + Frank Poirier, BASE, Paris; Communication design: Andreas Schneider, IIDj, Tokyo; Philosophy: Joseph Hanimann, Paris
Surface net: 21 140m²
Dates: competition march to june 2004, realisation 2006 to 2009
Costs: 41,5 Mio €
Photos: Christian Richters