Sofidy | France
20 september 2022
Project: Sofidy, Labège | France
Architect: Calvo Tran Van Architectes, Toulouse | France
Fabricator: ACODI, Torvilliers | France
Installer: CANCÉ SAS, Toulouse | France
Façade System: Tray panels on bolts
Year of Construction: 2021
Product: ALUCOBOND® PLUS solid White 16
Photos : Claude Maurech
IN FLIGHT
The road markings on the asphalt reflect in the curved ALUCOBOND® tray panels, giving the impression of standing on the airfield apron under the wings of an aircraft. This is no coincidence; after all, this is Toulouse, the city of aerospace. A new building in Labège near Toulouse is off to a flying start with its sweeping curves. The architecture is entirely in keeping with its location since aerospace science, research and its associated supply industry are part of an important and ever growing economic sector in Toulouse. This growth is attracting an increasing number of companies and new residents to the metropolitan area, and it is also benefitting neighbouring communities, such as Labège. Hopes are high that there will be an upsurge in business at the Labège industrial estate on the south-western edges of the conurbation when the planned extension of the Toulouse Aerospace Express metro line is extended out there. The town intends to develop a site for pioneering technologies: university accommodation, technology ventures, biodiverse green spaces, and social amenities have already been planned. Demand for business and industrial sites in the Greater Toulouse area is always high; however, competition with other industrial estates in the region is fierce. When Sofidy, a French management company for real estate funds, commissioned a new office building in Labège before securing a tenant, both marketing the building and flexible office space were important factors for the design. This is where the curves on the long straight construction come into play: elevated on concrete pillars, the elongated rectangular building is set parallel to the motorway to Toulouse and in a perfect position for a highly visible and memorable piece of architecture. The architects devised an aerodynamic, hi-tech look like an aeroplane fuselage for this apparently hovering structure. They clad the oblong volume’s rounded exterior in curved, high-gloss white ALUCOBOND® tray panels. Motorway road markings are reflected indistinctly on the glossy surface, giving the impression of standing on an airfield apron under an Airbus. The elevated, lengthy tubular shape proves to be inordinately functional: the concrete frame construction has two cores and, at 21 metres in length, is an optimal depth to provide natural daylight in the office space. The three-storey building offers a total of 4,750 m² and can be divided up flexibly into units of different sizes. Will Labège, with its grand plans, benefit from the Airbus as anticipated? Whatever the outcome, the architecture has undoubtedly passed with flying colours.