kengo kuma's proposed congress center and philharmonic hall for angers, france

kengo kuma’s proposed congress center and philharmonic hall for angers, france
image by mir
all images courtesy of kengo kuma and associates

kengo kuma and associates has shared images of its plans for a congress center and philharmonic hall, designed for the western french city of angers. the scheme was originally part of a restricted competition organized in 2012, before the project was abruptly cancelled in mid-2014. the vast 25,220 square meter development includes a symphony hall for 1,700 people, the headquarters for the ‘orchestre national des pays de la loire’, a congress center, a hotel, and a terraced restaurant.

the building’s façade is formed of metallic strips
image by mir

the congress center is positioned along a prominent boulevard, directly facing the river. the building gradually opens, presenting sweeping views of the nearby city. the proposal is materialized through a spiraling gesture that seeks to fragment the building’s mass as much as possible — thus minimizing urban impact, while maximizing connectivity. this organic vortex is derived from the swirling nature of the adjacent river maine, connecting each aspect of the program: congress center, philharmonic hall, and hotel.

the envelope provides interior glimpses and defines entrances and exits
image by mir

the building’s façade is formed of metallic strips that horizontally wrap around the building, providing interior glimpses and defining entrances and exits. measuring over 22 kilometers in total, the structure’s anodized aluminum skin is responsible for filtering sunlight and controlling illumination throughout the project’s interior.

the anodized aluminum skin filters daylight inside the building
image by mir

interiors feature kuma’s distinctive use of angular timber surfaces
image by mir

the symphony hall accommodates up to 1,700 guests
image by mir

project model illustrating the layout of the site

the proposal is materialized through a spiraling gesture that seeks to fragment the building’s mass

the project was abruptly cancelled in mid-2014

1/4

 

 

 

 

project info:

name: 
angers congress center
architects: kengo kuma & associates
principal: kengo kuma
partner in charge: yuki ikeguchi
project director: diego lópez arahuetes
project architect: miguel huelga de la fuente

team first phase: jaime fernandez calvache, ryota torao, kazuyo nishida, kimio suzuki, nicola maniero, leroy merks, will lambeth, juan pablo azares, lucile dugal, christopher dowds, seung ik cha, arielle assouline-lichten, lucile dugal, hugo maia

team second phase: jordi viñals torres, jaime fernandez calvache, marc mokaczel, tiago sa, lucien puech, feriel mestiri, ruben v.

collaborators:
client: city of angers
contractor: quille construction
local architect: frederic rolland architects
structure: VP green engineering
acoustics: sound space design
scenography: AMPC
mechanical engineering: egis
landscape: ilex
façade: emmer pfenninger
renderings: mir