BIG wins congress center competition in france with roofline echoing waves of the seine

"Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) is selected to design Rouen's new congress center, nicknamed The Sail, a landmark project that is set to rise along the banks of the Seine in northern France. The 11,500-square-meter complex introduces a striking roofline that crests and dips like waves above the river. The building is designed to serve as a civic gathering point and an international events venue and seeks to reconnect the city to its waterfront."

"Commissioned by Métropole Rouen Normandie, the project includes two auditoriums, exhibition halls, meeting rooms, a restaurant, and support spaces. Designed in collaboration with BLP & associés, The Sail aims to achieve Passivhaus certification, setting a new benchmark for energy-efficient public architecture in France. The timber structure and facades of the building reinterpret Rouen's vernacular of half-timbered houses. all images by Atchain & BIG"

BIG will design an 11,500-square-meter congress center called The Sail on the Seine in northern France. The complex includes two auditoriums, exhibition halls, meeting rooms, a restaurant, and support spaces and aims to reconnect the city to its waterfront. A flowing, crested roofline evokes waves and Rouen's naval heritage while a photovoltaic roof shelters a new public forecourt and collects rainwater to irrigate planted zones. The timber structure and facades reinterpret local half-timbered vernacular. The project targets Passivhaus certification to establish a benchmark for energy-efficient public architecture in France.

Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine