A work of reinterpretation. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's
25/03/2024.
[Toulouse] France
metalocus, JORGE MARTINEZ
metalocus, JORGE MARTINEZ
BIG in collaboration with A+ Architects present the project for the Marengo multimodal transport center in the fourth largest city in France, Toulouse. Located next to the Gare Matabiau central station on the eastern edge of the city, the building will expand the city center beyond the Canal du Midi and strengthen its public transport networks by uniting bus, rail and metro under one roof.
As part of Toulouse's Grand Matabiau Quais d'Oc masterplan, the Marengo Multimodal Transport Center will revitalize the urban area, facilitate seamless travel and triple the number of daily passengers traveling to and from the city. The building will obtain Silver Occitanie Sustainable Buildings certification, as well as Biodiversity Effinature and HQE Infrastructure certification.
As part of Toulouse's Grand Matabiau Quais d'Oc masterplan, the Marengo Multimodal Transport Center will revitalize the urban area, facilitate seamless travel and triple the number of daily passengers traveling to and from the city. The building will obtain Silver Occitanie Sustainable Buildings certification, as well as Biodiversity Effinature and HQE Infrastructure certification.
Rendering. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Rendering. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Rendering. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Rendering. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Rendering. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Rendering. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Rendering. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Ground floor plan. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
First floor plan. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Second floor plan. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Third floor plan. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Fourth floor plan. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Fifth floor plan. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Section plan. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Axonometric plan. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Axonometric plan. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Axonometric plan. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Axonometric plan. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Axonometric plan. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Axonometric plan. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Axonometric plan. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Axonometric plan. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Axonometric plan. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Model. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Model. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub is BIG second project in the south of France, following the MÉCA cultural centre, Maison de l'Économie Créative et de la Culture Aquitaine, which was completed in Bordeaux in 2019. Construction of the transport hub will begin in 2026 with the completion of the underground connection to Gare Matabiau and the metro station planned for 2028.
Referencing the city's rooftop landscape and the traditional use of foraine brick, the building is characterized by a pink crystalline roof. From the main entrance canopy in the south, the center structure gradually rises in an inclined movement towards the north, reaching 32 meters in height towards the train tracks. Local plants and trees are planted in the building and at the bicycle station, reflecting the vegetation of the Haute-Garonne region.
Rendering. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Passing the bus station and entering through the main entrance, travelers are led underground to the Gare Matabiau station, the railway, metro lines and transport hub assembly areas. 4,400 m² distributed on the ground floor and two sublevels will have flexible and informal public spaces open to everyone, including rest areas as well as commercial and cultural activities. Here, the Maison du Climat, an initiative to promote public awareness of environmental issues, will manage an event space for exhibitions, conferences and workshops.
As the structure grows in height, each level gradually recedes, creating a triangular shape. This allows visual connections between floors and brings natural light to the lower levels of the building, allowing for comfortable and easy navigation for travelers throughout the day. The center's two sublevels will connect to the 1,000-unit open-air bicycle parking lot.
Rendering. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Built mainly of wood, the center with its 12,000 m² surface connects with the central train station in the west and accommodates the city's pedestrian and bicycle flows to the east, acting as a link between the city center, the Canal du Midi, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and the Périole neighborhood.
Rammed earth and textiles will be used for partitions, and both the ground and underground floors will be constructed from pink, low-carbon concrete. The roof will also be made up of photovoltaic panels matching the pink color of the roof, pierced by skylights that will allow the entry of natural light.
Referencing the city's rooftop landscape and the traditional use of foraine brick, the building is characterized by a pink crystalline roof. From the main entrance canopy in the south, the center structure gradually rises in an inclined movement towards the north, reaching 32 meters in height towards the train tracks. Local plants and trees are planted in the building and at the bicycle station, reflecting the vegetation of the Haute-Garonne region.
Rendering. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Passing the bus station and entering through the main entrance, travelers are led underground to the Gare Matabiau station, the railway, metro lines and transport hub assembly areas. 4,400 m² distributed on the ground floor and two sublevels will have flexible and informal public spaces open to everyone, including rest areas as well as commercial and cultural activities. Here, the Maison du Climat, an initiative to promote public awareness of environmental issues, will manage an event space for exhibitions, conferences and workshops.
«The folded roof of the new transport center, rising from the Marengo parvis, defines the main hall with lush greenery and abundant natural light, welcoming visitors and leading them to the subway and train tracks located below. The elegant silhouette of the building, which grows in height towards the north, curves along the rue de Périole. The ground and lower floors will offer retail and lounge areas and the Maison du Climat event space, while the upper floors will house regional offices. Seeking low carbon solutions in the design, we employ mass timber, low carbon concrete and natural ventilation throughout. , with photovoltaic energy on the roof. This simple, but multifunctional design transforms the roof into the new landmark of Toulouse.
Jakob Sand, Managing Partner of BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group
As the structure grows in height, each level gradually recedes, creating a triangular shape. This allows visual connections between floors and brings natural light to the lower levels of the building, allowing for comfortable and easy navigation for travelers throughout the day. The center's two sublevels will connect to the 1,000-unit open-air bicycle parking lot.
Rendering. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architect's.
Built mainly of wood, the center with its 12,000 m² surface connects with the central train station in the west and accommodates the city's pedestrian and bicycle flows to the east, acting as a link between the city center, the Canal du Midi, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and the Périole neighborhood.
Rammed earth and textiles will be used for partitions, and both the ground and underground floors will be constructed from pink, low-carbon concrete. The roof will also be made up of photovoltaic panels matching the pink color of the roof, pierced by skylights that will allow the entry of natural light.
More information
Architects
Project team
Partner in Charge.- Bjarke Ingels, Jakob Sand.
Project Lead.- Claudia Bertolotti.
Team.- Charlie Laran, Dervan Ahmed, Gustavo Alejandro Lopez Rodriguez, Hyojin Lee, Marco Sartoretto, Martyna Kloda, Mathieu Michel Cardinal, Oliwia Jagla, Yanis Amasri Sierra.
BIG Landscape.- Giulia Frittoli, Sasha Spasic.
BIG Sustainability.- Johannes Alexander Hackl, Will Chuanruy Yu.
Project Lead.- Claudia Bertolotti.
Team.- Charlie Laran, Dervan Ahmed, Gustavo Alejandro Lopez Rodriguez, Hyojin Lee, Marco Sartoretto, Martyna Kloda, Mathieu Michel Cardinal, Oliwia Jagla, Yanis Amasri Sierra.
BIG Landscape.- Giulia Frittoli, Sasha Spasic.
BIG Sustainability.- Johannes Alexander Hackl, Will Chuanruy Yu.
Collaborators
A+ Architecture, A+R Paysages, ALTO, CL Design, dUCKS scéno, Systematica, Franck Boutté, LASA, Les Eclaireures, l'Echo SBP, MBacity, FER-PLAY.
Client
Région Occitanie, Toulouse Métropole, Europolia – ARAC Occitanie.
Area
12,000 sqm.
Location
Toulouse, France.
Photography
Rendering.- BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group.
BJARKE INGELS
Bjarke Ingels (born in Copenhagen, 1974) studied architecture at the Royal Academy in Copenhagen and at the School of Architecture of Barcelona, obtaining his degree as an architect in 1998. He is the founder of the BIG architecture studio - (Bjarke Ingels Group), studio founded in 2005, after co-founding PLOT Architects in 2001 with his former partner Julien de Smedt, whom he met while working at the prestigious OMA studio in Rotterdam.
Bjarke has designed and completed award-winning buildings worldwide, and currently his studio is based with venues in Copenhagen and New York. His projects include The Mountain, a residential complex in Copenhagen, and the innovative Danish Maritime Museum in Elsinore.
With the PLOT study, he won the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2004, and with BIG he has received numerous awards such as the ULI Award for Excellence in 2009. Other prizes are the Culture Prize of the Crown Prince of Denmark in 2011; and Along with his architectural practice, Bjarke has taught at Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University and Rice University and is an honorary professor at the Royal Academy of Arts, School of Architecture in Copenhagen.
In 2018, Bjarke received the Knight's Cross of the Order of Dannebrog granted by Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II. He is a frequent public speaker and continues to give lectures at places such as TED, WIRED, AMCHAM, 10 Downing Street or the World Economic Forum. In 2018, Bjarke was appointed Chief Architectural Advisor by WeWork to advise and develop the design vision and language of the company for buildings, campuses and neighborhoods around the world.
Architecture A+
A+Architecture.- Founded in Montpellier thirty years ago, the A+ Group is based in Paris and Toulouse. It is involved throughout the country in major projects in the fields of culture, the tertiary sector, housing, health, urban planning, etc., thanks to its various entities A+Architecture, Arteba, L’Echo and Celsius.
The firm has contributed to the architectural heritage of Montpellier and its surroundings, with such projects as the Arena, the Altrad Rugby Stadium, Jean-Claude Carriere Theatre at the Domaine d’O, Port Marianne’s Urban Planning, the Saint-Jean Clinic, the Liner (office building),and the extension of the Montpellier Airport.
However, 70% of the firm’s turnover reaches beyond Montpellier, with projects such as redefining Cap d’Agde’s City Entrance through urban planning and the construction of a casino & congress center (Hérault), Ada Lovelace College in Nîmes (Gard), construction of an Emergency & Firefighting Call Center in Nîmes-Garons (Gard), extension of a public hospital in Villefranche-sur-Saône (Rhône), creation of nursing homes in Pomarez (Landes), Gimont (Gers) and Lantosque (Alpes Maritimes), creation of a housing and commercial complex in Villeneuve-Tolosane (Haute-Garonne), creation of student housing for the CROUS in Aixen- Provence and Marseilles (Bouches-du-Rhône), creation of cultural events center in Mende (Lozère).
The firm has contributed to the architectural heritage of Montpellier and its surroundings, with such projects as the Arena, the Altrad Rugby Stadium, Jean-Claude Carriere Theatre at the Domaine d’O, Port Marianne’s Urban Planning, the Saint-Jean Clinic, the Liner (office building),and the extension of the Montpellier Airport.
However, 70% of the firm’s turnover reaches beyond Montpellier, with projects such as redefining Cap d’Agde’s City Entrance through urban planning and the construction of a casino & congress center (Hérault), Ada Lovelace College in Nîmes (Gard), construction of an Emergency & Firefighting Call Center in Nîmes-Garons (Gard), extension of a public hospital in Villefranche-sur-Saône (Rhône), creation of nursing homes in Pomarez (Landes), Gimont (Gers) and Lantosque (Alpes Maritimes), creation of a housing and commercial complex in Villeneuve-Tolosane (Haute-Garonne), creation of student housing for the CROUS in Aixen- Provence and Marseilles (Bouches-du-Rhône), creation of cultural events center in Mende (Lozère).
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