Category: Non classé

Technical station – Bois d’Arcy
 
Two gas regulator stations were designed for GRT Gaz, a branch of Gaz de France, both situated in residential suburbs, the municipalities of Choisy-le-Roi and Bois d’Arcy on the outskirts of Paris. Station no.1 constitutes the “first brick” of urban redevelopment in a residential area east of Choisy-le-Roi. It was designed to resemble a white pavilion, an airy birdcage of perforated metal settled lightly upon a concrete box. The concrete box containing all the technical equipment is embedded in the existing slope, while the birdcage performs a fence-like role in restricting public access, and incorporates movable skylights to facilitate instant gas decompression. Station no.2 is situated in Bois d’Arcy, adjacent to a greened square. To protect the environment, the metal fence encircling the concrete service block was designed as a trellis structure for climbing vines. As the vegetation grows onto the mesh, the tent-like design is transformed into a vertical extension of the green surface of the square, veiling the technical function of the station. In this respect, both designs take generic technical objects and seek to redesign them in such a way that can merge seamlessly with the local context to form harmonious architectures rather than an overt expression of internal function.