The Orange Cube Magnificent Architecture / Jakob + Macfarlane Architects

The aspirations of the urban planning project for the old harbor zone, developed by VNF (Voies Naviguables de France) in partnership with Caisse des Dépôts and Sem Lyon Confluence, ended up being to reinvest the docks of Lyon around the river side and its industrial patrimony, combining architecture along with a cultural and commercial program.

These docks, initially made of warehouses (la Sucrière, les Douanes, les Salins, la Capitainerie), cranes, well-designed elements bound to the river and its flow, mutate in to a territory of experimentation in order to create a whole new landscape that is articulated towards the river and also the surrounding hills.

The project is designed as a simple orthogonal « cube » in to which a giant hole is created, responding to requirements of light, air movement and views. This hole creates a void, piercing the structure horizontally on the river side inwards and upwards over the top terrace.

The cube, next to the existing hall (the Salins building, made from three archs) highlights its autonomy. It is actually designed with a regular framework (29 x 33m) made of concrete pillars on 5 levels. The light façade, with seemingly random openings is finished by another façade, pierced with pixilated patterns that is included with the movement of the river. The orange color describes lead paint, an industrial color often used for harbor zones.

The building is connected to future huge floating terraces connected to the banks of the river quays.

Location: Quai Rambaud, Lyon, France