The architects of Muoto designed a recreation center to link a number of universities on the evolving campus of Paris-Saclay. The building is an “urban shelf” that stacks a variety of flexible-use spaces on top of one another.

The Lieu de vie by Muoto Architectes occupies a strategic point between the planned new building of the École Centrale Paris and the planned Metro station. Because it is to function as a hub of the growing campus, the architects of Muoto designed it as a free-standing building with no discernible front or back. It can be entered from all directions, and all entry points are connected via open passageways on the ground floor. The building is designed as a compact box, but the structure, with fine concrete beams, seems light – and thanks to the large glazed areas and a minimum of interior partitions, the whole is quite transparent.

Project author Gilles Delalex explains the concept: “Usually in architecture we work the other way around, developing everything from the program: One visualizes the space and gives it a name. But why do we have to assign a specific function when a room can be anything? Everybody needs space – and if you give it to them they will find a way to use it. We want to leave the use up to the users!”

Read feature interview in 4th Holcim Awards 2014/2015 (flip-book)