OMA wins competition to design parc des expositions (PEX)

event hall of ‘parc des exposition’ by OMA, toulouse, france images © OMA

international studio, OMA has won the competition to design the new ‘parc des expositions’ in toulouse, france. located in the city’s innovation zone, the new gateway has been imagined as a compact mini-city, an antidote to the sprawl of standard expo centers, and a means to preserve the surrounding countryside. the complex – which is set for completion in 2016 – will be the first public structure realized by OMA in all of france.

main entrance from the east

measuring 620 meters long and 24 meters high, the building has been conceived as a contained, virtuous strip, leaving the encircling patchwork of open fields untouched. the unit, at once monumental in its horizontal scale and subtle in its overall impact, will act as a zone for future developments, linking the river garonne with the airbus A380 factory.

south north view

the monolithic new facility is organized as three parallel bands, each containing a specific and identified function. the two outer structures – an event hall and a 40,000 square meter column-free exhibition hall – are set to house rotating exhibitions, concerts and conferences, while the middle band has been dedicated to above ground parking.

clément blanchet of OMA states: ‘this project is not only about architecture, but rather infrastructure. it’s a condenser for diversity, a machine that can promote an infinite amount of possibilities.’

site plan

physical model

project info:

client: société publique locale d’améngement (SPLA) location: toulouse, france site: 150 acres of agricultural land at the edge of toulouse program: 40,000 m2 column-free indoor exhibition space, 41,000 m2 outdoor exhibition space, 15,000 m2 multifunction event hall, 15,000 m2 of logistics + amenities space, approximately 160,000 m2 for parking (6500 spaces)