TERCA brick ensures the life and durability of the building

TERCA brick provides a solid base for the new-generation sports hall in Villeneuve d'Ascq, whose shades recall those of tree bark.

The upper volume, extended with several metallic and tangy colors with mirror effects, rises tall and seems to levitate. Lively, rich, reassuring and durable, the building's distinctive appearance blends perfectly with its new-town environment.

A new identity to create an urban landmark and a strong architectural signal in the neighborhood
As part of its policy of preserving its heritage, bringing buildings into compliance and controlling energy use, the city of Villeneuve d'Ascq (59) has carried out the complete refurbishment of the Pierre Mendès France sports hall, located in the heart of the Prés district. With an area of 700 m2, the sports facility was originally built in 1984 and consists of two single-story buildings. One houses the playing area, the other the changing rooms and restrooms. The architecture of the renovated building is bold and colorful. It is built around a sensitive effort to awaken the senses for the school sports activities hosted there. An expressive structure had to be recomposed, enriched with colors, infinite nuances and countless variations to bring each space to life with its own particular note. ?We wanted to give it substance and bring its texture to life. The base of the building, firmly anchored in the ground, takes on a brown shade that reflects a mix of tree bark and earth, which we extended with touches of color and panels with mirror effects,? explains Ahmed Faouzi, the city's architect.

A terracotta cladding to add color and capture light
The building has been reinvented through rich work on volumes, shaped to meet both emotional and functional requirements. The building's base in TERCA Marono bricks and its tangy variations (sky blue, Telemagenta, Yellow green, Pure orange, Melon yellow), enhanced with colored metal sections, truly brings the volume to life, animated by a few mirror-effect panels that capture light and the surroundings. ?We sought to bring light back to the building, while the color effects are there to evoke school and childhood… the chosen architectural language thus brings real added value to the material. TERCA Marono brick, although dark at its base, captures the flashes of daylight through its small, fleeting metallic specks,? emphasizes Ahmed Faouzi.

Refurbishment objectives exceeded thanks to the richness and robustness of the envelope material
The project is a winner in every respect: functional, aesthetic, heritage, regulatory and environmental. The combination of brick, wood and steel cladding on the façade fully ensures the durability of the building. ?Through its sobriety and materials, the building aspires to calm and relaxation for children. The new cladding and raised sections of the façades give the urban scale a fluidity of proportions and a better perception of the facility within its surroundings. You can read in it the robust and reassuring quality of the brick at ground level, as well as the work on texture and shades that gives the volume, and its height, all its lightness,? concludes Ahmed Faouzi. The rich, lively materials, which react to the ambient atmosphere, ensure the durability of the building.