The French studio colboc franzen & associés inaugurated in 2011 a new “Social Center of L’Arbrisseau” in Lille (France) where the varied urban landscape and strong community-focused neighborhood are undergoing a renewal. The studio was asked to organize diverse areas such as an aquarium, a reception desk, a library and an ‘arbre’ (French for tree), as it’s the symbol of the area.
The tree shape is abstracted to create the characterizing features of the building: the open decks on different floors, protruding out from the core volume and their panoramic view are designed in such way to recall branches. Moreover, this layered shape allowed the architects to keep free a larger garden area to be dedicated to outdoor activities while providing all the functions needed in the volume.
The ground level hosts the reception and the “mother and child care center” and the multi home while recreational and activity rooms and are located in floor one. Taking advantage of its double height, the reading area works as a visual and physical link to the upper floor, while the adult zone and library connect from the second to third level with administration placed on top. Unifying all these, a central atrium. Each activity extends and develops outdoor too thanks to the terraces which also offer the user another access point.
The social center is made out of raw concrete, untreated aluminum, wood and glass: the interplay of this materials let light pass through all the areas and levels, guaranteeing optimum visual and thermal conditions in both winter and summer.
Although we love the exterior and especially the illumination effects during the night, the interior (and specifically the central core of the building) kind of recalls the Liebeskind’s Jewish museum in Berlin. For those of us who experienced it and perceive the link, it’s a bit disorienting how this area of the social center gives a similar feeling to the interior of the museum.
Feb. 17, 2014
Central Saint Martins
Beckmans College of Design
Shenkar
Harrington College of Design
LOFT 42
Red Dot design award
