Copper cladding gleams catching the sunlight. We are standing before the Arals Installation in Lille. This striking feature is not just a pretty facade. It represents a bold architectural statement. The Arals Installation is part of a larger story. This story involves urban renewal and architectural innovation in Lille.
The story begins with the Euralille project. In the 1990s Rem Koolhaas designed this urban space. It aimed to connect Lille to a network of hyper-territories. Twenty-six years later this project changed Lille’s face. The Euravenir Tower occupies a key spot. It sits on the last free parcel of Phase One of the Euralille Area. This phase started in 1998.
LAN Architecture designed this building. Their question was bold. Could architecture reassert a city? The Arals Installation became a sophisticated solution. It acts as a hub. It brings together elements around it. The architects aimed for a multiform architecture. Its geometry responds to the project’s scale and geography.
Extending axes carve the initial extrusion. This creates a small tower. The vertical element signals the city. It greets drivers coming from the beltway below. The Arals Installation creates new urban space. This space combines public and private areas. Its base provides a public space. Inhabitants and office workers can interact here. A portico provides porosity. It also shelters from bad weather. People can mingle here. They can live and work in the building. Passers-by and shop customers are also welcome.
The office project is flexible. Form dictates use. Each level has a central core. This holds servant spaces and vertical circulations. The office floors allow for a rational layout. The geometric faceting frees up views. It opens the intersection. It reveals the wooded cemetery to the north.
The facades complete this interrelation. They become windows. They offer a 360-degree panorama. They frame views of the city. You can see newer parts. You can see green spaces. You can see the downtown area.
The building’s envelope reinvents the city visually. Different designs respond to orientation. They respond to usage and thermal needs. Glass areas contrast with copper cladding. The copper cladding can be porous.
The facade design follows a lattice pattern. It measures 1.35 meters in height. This pattern runs around the building’s top. A U-shaped metal component marks it. Various elements attach to this envelope. Three bands interrupt this vertical motif. They emphasize the horizontal composition. They form a crown.
Copper acts as siding. It covers opaque stretches of the facade. Perforated panels regulate light. They adjust to the orientation. The Arals Installation uses pre-oxidized copper panels. These panels are installed at intervals of 1.35 meters. Mullions hold them in place. The mullions are 15 millimeters thick. Steel anchors fix them to the inner layer. Opaque stretches have rockwool insulation. The panels are perforated up to 40%. This varies with direction.
The architects collaborated with several firms. Egis supervised the project. Act Environnement consulted on sustainability. IOSIS handled engineering. Elioth worked on the facade. Flandres Acoustique handled acoustics.
Sogeprom and Projectim were the clients. SPIE was the builder. The floor area is 3,475 square meters. The contract budget was 5,700,000 Euros. Julien Lanoo photographed the building.
The Arals Installation stands as a testament. It shows how architecture can redefine a city. It integrates art, functionality, and urban context. It shows what is possible. It is more than just a building. It’s a statement. It reflects Lille’s ambition.