jakob + macfarlane completes green cube building for euronews' HQ

jakob + macfarlane completes green cube building for euronews’ new HQ
photography © nicolas borel
all images courtesy of jakob + macfarlane

the redevelopment project for the quay rambaud, located along the banks of the saône river in lyon, is part of a vast masterplan aimed at renewing the city’s confluence district, formerly an abandoned dockland. as part of this development, paris-based architecture studio jakob + macfarlane designed two distinctive buildings: the orange cube, which completed in 2011, and the green cube, a design that forms the headquarters of euronews.

the green cube is located along the banks of the saône river in lyon

the scheme is conceived as a stretched cube, pierced by two conical atria — referred to as ‘eyes’ — that introduce daylight and air, while providing views of the adjacent waterway. symbolically, the openings are also intended to represent those of the news organization, capturing the events of the world around us.

the pattern of the perforated elevation was created by french artist fabrice hyber

the building’s envelope is composed of a light, primarily glazed façade, doubled with an irregularly perforated aluminum cladding. this results in a permeable double-skin that plays with light inside interior spaces and enriches perspectives towards the exterior — a cinematic approach that references the movement and flow of the saône.

the building forms the headquarters of an international news agency

the bold choice of green is seen as a reference to the color of the river, and sets up a dialogue between architecture and the undulating landscape located on the opposite bank. the pattern of the perforated elevation was created by french artist fabrice hyber, who often uses the color green in his work.

the voids introduce daylight and air, while providing views of the adjacent waterway

internally, the building contains two primary types of program: public service spaces at ground level, including the entry hall and restaurant, and the headquarters of euronews, complete with various offices, recording studios, and multimedia spaces. the entry hall traverses the ground level, connecting the quay to the parallel circulation road to the east. the offices are spread across six levels: storeys 1 and 2 contain the newsroom, while the remaining levels contain two studios each, accessible via two vertical circulation cores that also contain technical spaces.

the building’s envelope is composed of a light, primarily glazed façade

the bold choice of green is seen as a reference to the color of the river and the surrounding landscape

the headquarters are complete with various offices, recording studios, and multimedia spaces

views are provided towards the adjacent river

the scheme is conceived as a stretched cube, pierced by two conical atria

project info:

location: lyon, france
program: multimedia offices / offices/ TV studios / 7 levels including ground level / 1 underground parking level
client: euronews / VNF / caisse des dépôts / cardinal (promoter)
architect: jakob + macfarlane (dominique jakob, brendan macfarlane)
project manager: thomas sablayrolles
collaborators: SNC lavalin (construction) / T/E/S/S atelier d’ingénierie (façade engineer) vilquin (metal structure) / allouis (envelope) / cofedy ineo, spie sud-est (MEP) / jean-paul lamoureux (acoustics) / artistic intervention on the façade by fabrice hyber / AOS (interiors) / veritas (inspection agency)
floor area: 10,000 sqm
opening: october, 2015