SCHÖCK
A SELF-SUSTAINING ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITY
SCHÖCK BUILDING PHYSICS EXPERTISE FOR ICONIC FRENCH BIOTOPE
The Biotope building , located in the middle of the important European business district of Euralille , in the French city of Lille , is an iconic 30,000m ² seven-story architectural complex that transforms conventional office accomodation into a selfsustaining ecological community . It is an ultra energy-efficient building and minimising thermal bridging throughout was critical . The architects turned to building physics specialists Schöck for their expertise in this area .
Designed by Henning Larsen Architects ( Copenhagen ) and Keurk Architecture ( Lille ) the Biotope was originally designed to accommodate the European Medicines Agency ( EMA ). However , due to a change of circumstance , the building now houses ‘ The European Metropolis of Lille ’, an intercommunal public authority responsible for transport and infrastructure across 85 cities in the North of France .
The building is conceived as a ripple made of glass , light and natural vegetation . These three core elements form the building blocks of the design – with everything geared towards the wellbeing of the staff . The heart of the building is a light-flooded atrium with an imposing spiral staircase which rises upwards in a sweeping curve . Like everything else in the Biotope , the angled glass panels are both beautiful and functional ; with double-skin façades regulating the interior temperature , reducing carbon emissions . The serpentine floor plan roughly follows a figure-ofeight path , a dramatic departure from the traditional corridorstyle office building . Instead , employees circulate through a winding trail of skybridges , balconies , and rooftop gardens . Large glass units link interior office spaces seamlessly and every floor has access to the numerous exterior open spaces . In terms of functionality the ground floor features a large reception hall , a 300-seat auditorium , a cafeteria and a bilingual nursery .
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