deAlzua+ . photos: © Juan Jerez
The construction of the head office of Maisons et Cités in the new ZAC de la Clochette plays an important role in the composition of the urban fabric. As one of the first projects on this site, it’s a strong statement towards boosting its development.
The Parc de la Clochette covers 44 hectares to the east of Douai, and is strategically located close to major infrastructures: Douai station, the A1, A2, A21, A26 and RD643.
To the west, it stretches along the railway lines, which currently creates an artificial barrier to the town centre. This myriad of lines in the landscape draws an urban composition aiming to be enriched.
To the east, the ZAC connects with the mining towns of Waziers. This part of the town is one of the emblematic facets of the region’s urban and human landscape, as the mining towns have contributed so much to the panorama we know today. Its enhancement is an undeniable duty.
The building was conceived as a palimpsest emanating from the richness of the site. We ennonced the «already there» to implement this signal in the urbanisation of the new district. As the site is at the crossroads of the different scales of the area (the scale of the city to the west, the scale of the residential district to the east), the building is designed as a link between these scales. It is divided into three strips that slide over each other. Each strip is different in height and has its own identity. Their dimensions are defined to fit in with the context.
To the west, a city-wide strip opens on the railway tracks and the station area. This blade in R+4 is a showcase visible from Douai town centre. It introduces the new district into the landscape.
To the east, a strip of more modest scale showcases the building to the scale of the district. It protects the residential area from north-westerly winds and acts as a screen from the nuisance of the railway line.
In the centre, an active strip concentrates all vertical circulation and technical equipment together. An iconic object challenges this strip-like positioning. Conceived as a singular element, an imprint of local memory, it questions the identity of the site. It is not a miner’s house, but its volume in negative.
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