ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay is completed by KAAN Architecten
12/09/2018.
[Orsay] France
metalocus, ANDREA GONZÁLEZ
metalocus, ANDREA GONZÁLEZ
Dutch firm KAAN Architecten completed the new Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay (Université Paris-Sud/CNRS), part of the future campus of the Université Paris-Saclay (France).
Robust and elegant, while essentially open , the building is defined by its authors as a harmonious coexistence between nature and scientific research.
Robust and elegant, while essentially open , the building is defined by its authors as a harmonious coexistence between nature and scientific research.
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Fernando Guerra FG + SG
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Sebastian van Damme
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Fernando Guerra FG + SG
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Fernando Guerra FG + SG
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Fernando Guerra FG + SG
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Fernando Guerra FG + SG
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Fernando Guerra FG + SG
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Fernando Guerra FG + SG
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Sebastian van Damme
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Fernando Guerra FG + SG
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Fernando Guerra FG + SG
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Sebastian van Damme
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Sebastian van Damme
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Sebastian van Damme
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Fernando Guerra FG + SG
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Sebastian van Damme
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Fernando Guerra FG + SG
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Fernando Guerra FG + SG
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Sebastian van Damme
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Fernando Guerra FG + SG
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Sebastian van Damme
Site plan. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Schemes accessibility. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Schemes diagram. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Schemes diagram. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Schemes mass studies. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Fernando Guerra FG + SG
ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten. Photograph by Sebastian van Damme
Floor plan -1. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Floor plan -2. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Ground floor plan with legend. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Ground floor plan. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
First floor plan with legend. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
First floor plan. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Second floor plan. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Second floor plan with legend. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Third floor plan with legend. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Third floor plan. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Fourth floor plan with legend. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Fourth floor plan. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Fifth roof plan with legend. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Fifth roof plan. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
North elevation. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
South elevation. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
West elevation. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
East elevation. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Cross section. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Cross section. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Longitudinal section. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Details atrium balconies. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Details north façade labs. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Details concrete façade. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Details patios. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
Details south façade main entrance. ISMO, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay by KAAN Architecten.
The Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay (ISMO) has recently moved into new premises designed by KAAN Architecten.
Entering the building, a clear white space unfolds and extends up to the roof. Daylight floods the atrium through the facade and a large skylight... Pointing upwards, rectangular balconies project into the space as comfortable settings for conversations and exchange of ideas. The cohesive combination of daylight, spaciousness and sightlines creates a grand spatial effect.
Entering the building, a clear white space unfolds and extends up to the roof. Daylight floods the atrium through the facade and a large skylight... Pointing upwards, rectangular balconies project into the space as comfortable settings for conversations and exchange of ideas. The cohesive combination of daylight, spaciousness and sightlines creates a grand spatial effect.
Description of project by KAAN Architecten
The building is located on the Plateau de Saclay, 20 km south-west of Paris. Initiated in 2010, and born of the fusion of three research laboratories, this higher institute for molecular physics and physico-chemistry, under the supervision of Université Paris-Sud and CNRS, employees a staff of 170 collaborators. ISMO merges with the Centre de Physique Matière et Rayonnement, grouping physics laboratories, an educational building and a reception centre for international researchers.
The new ISMO building is located within the Paris-Saclay Campus, an urban campus spread over nearly 600 hectares. Dedicated to higher education, research and innovation, this mixed vicinity is accompanied by housing, services and offices. Major names in architecture and urbanism have been involved in the design of this urban campus, and have contributed to making it one of the eight most promising global clusters. The monumental rectangular building of 10.000 square metres designed by KAAN Architecten is a remarkable component in this original architectural development.
A basic design principle has guided the Dutch firm: that ISMO staff should be able to experience their journey to and through the building like a walk in the park and the ancient forest surrounding the building. In fact, the project represents an exemplary integration of an urban-meets-rural layout with the new concrete structure emerging from the forest within an undulating landscape of rolling hills. A broad flight of steps and a ramp wind from Rue André Rivière to a forecourt. Both are paved in concrete tiles, giving the whole ensemble the charm of an Italian palazzo.
The ISMO building is divided into two architecturally expressed realms, intertwined into a single entity. One area contains lasers, spectrometers and other advanced scientific instruments, and the other comprises smart, quiet meeting and office spaces that provide calm working conditions and promote concentration.
While the laboratories, which scarcely admit daylight, are situated on the long, north-facing side of the building behind a sleek curtain wall, the southern facade houses the office areas, where sturdily stacked concrete posts and lintels form a pattern of rectangles. The grid stands out for its glazed, niche-like infills, set 80 centimetres deep into the facade. The vast floor-to-ceiling windows offer stunning views of the surrounding landscape. The entrance, situated in the middle of this facade, is made immediately evident by the deviation of pattern and the glazed entryway, which has been lightly brought forward.
Entering the building, a clear white space unfolds and extends up to the roof. Daylight floods the atrium through the facade and a large skylight. The atrium features a reception desk, a cafeteria and a wide staircase descending to laboratories and the parking garage. To the right of the entrance, a library wall stretches over two storeys, connected by an enclosed spiral steel staircase. Pointing upwards, rectangular balconies project into the space as comfortable settings for conversations and exchange of ideas. The cohesive combination of daylight, spaciousness and sightlines creates a grand spatial effect.
In the office areas, corridors run immediately behind the facades, across all the floors, and the working spaces are situated around two spacious courtyards that provide natural light and have been strategically designed for purposes that require a certain degree of privacy.
Alongside laboratory research and data processing, the building accommodates academic education through an auditorium that is suspended like a box over the atrium at levels 3 and 4. The sloping underside of the seating area is a perfect complement to the skylight, as it reflects and doubles the light. Inside, the auditorium is warmly cladded with oak.
The building is unified by a consistent facade treatment. The rectangles and deep recesses of the front extend around the corners to the side facades and continue all the way to the end corners. The inclusive frontage strategy unites the complementary approaches and activities that coexist within the institution.
KAAN Architecten’s subtle yet expressive functionalism, with its undertones of sophistication, is also at the core of several residential blocks and multi-purpose buildings, which are currently under construction in Lille, Nantes and Paris. Moreover, the monolithic Chambre de Métiers et de l’Artisanat in Lille will open its doors at the beginning of 2019.
More information
Architects
KAAN Architecten (Kees Kaan, Vincent Panhuysen, Dikkie Scipio).
Project team
Christophe Banderier, Marc Coma, Aksel Coruh, Sebastian van Damme, Paolo Faleschini, Renata Gilio, Walter Hoogerwerf, Jan Teunis ten Kate, Marco Lanna, Ismael Planelles Naya, Ana Rivero Esteban, Joeri Spijkers, Koen van Tienen, Pauline Trochu
Associated local architect
FRES architectes, Paris
Collaborators
Structural advisor.- EVP Ingénierie, Paris
Acoustics.- Peutz & Associes, Paris
Financial advisor.- Bureau Michel Forgue, Apprieu
Roads & Utilities.- Servicad Ouest IDF, Cesson Sevigne
Installation and Sustainability advisor.- INEX, Montreuil
Landscape.- KAAN Architecten
Client
Université Paris-Sud
Venue
Bâtiment 520, Rue André Rivière, 91400 Orsay. France
Dates
Design phase.- July 2012 – July 2014
Construction phase.- July 2014 – January 2018
Area
Total floor area.- 10.000 sqm
Building costs
€ 20,000,000
Contractors
SN Bloch, Blois (concrete and site work, waterproofing)
Atelier Bois & Cie, Chaumont (steel construction)
Arblade, Tremblay-en-France (facade cladding)
Loison, Armentières (steel aluminium doors and windows)
Slam Métallerie, Laon (metal work)
IDS, Vaux le Pènil (interior walls)
Sertac, Meudon (ceilings)
Normen, Evreux (wooden doors and windows)
Eurosyntec, Villeneuve le Roi (resin floors)
Eliez, La Pleine St. Denis (PVC floor)
Mabuleau, Fontaine le Comte (painting)
Cofely Axima, Paris (installation water, plumbing and ventilation)
Amica, Paris (installation electricity)
Servicom, Paris (elevators)
Fluides Concept, Le Perray en Yvelines (gas)
Delagrave, Romilly sur Andelle (laboratories facilities)
France Ingénierie Service, Salbris (planning, construction site management)
Kees Kaan. KAAN Architecten
KAAN Architecten is a Rotterdam based architectural firm operating in a global context and merging practical and academic expertise within the fields of architecture, urbanism and research on the built environment. The studio, led by Kees Kaan, Vincent Panhuysen and Dikkie Scipio, consists of an international team of architects, landscape architects, urban planners, engineers and graphic designers. KAAN Architecten believes in cross-pollination between projects and disciplines as an essential tool to fostering a critical debate within the studio.
Since the launch of the firm, KAAN Architecten has handled and supervised a wide range of projects, actively working with the private and the public sector, with project teams that become increasingly multidisciplinary and dynamic. KAAN Architecten maintains a culture of constant evolution, which is essential in a profession that changes at a rapid pace. KAAN Architecten seeks to uphold long-term relationships with its clients, consultants and partners.
KAAN Architecten’s projects transcend the traditional notion of scale and typology, ranging from furniture and interiors to urban development and from retail and offices to museums and buildings for health and education.
Selection of completed projects:
2017, B30 – Bezuidenhoutseweg 30, The Hague (NL)!
2016, De Bank – new KAAN Architecten’s office, Rotterdam (NL)
2016, Supreme Court of the Netherlands, The Hague (NL)!
2015, Provinciehuis of North-Brabant, ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NL)
2013, Dreamhouse, Rotterdam (NL)!
2013, Education Center Erasmus MC, Rotterdam (NL)!
2010, District Water Board Brabantse Delta, Breda (NL)
!2008, Crematorium Heimolen, Sint Niklaas (BE)!
2004, Netherlands Forensic Institute, The Hague
KAAN Architecten ©Casper Rila
