Façade renewal and infrastructure resilience on the Île des Impressionnistes

Architecture

Chatou, France

Area - xx m²

The EDF Lab site on the Île des Impressionnistes in Chatou presents a landscape of layered technical buildings, marked by successive additions and evolving operational needs. NAME Architecture’s intervention addresses two distinct but complementary objectives: the architectural recomposition of buildings L/M and the creation of a new technical facility for high-voltage electrical equipment.

Notre proposition pour le Gymnase Krizna, conçu avec un profond respect pour le contexte dans lequel in s'insert - ce gymnase s'intègre harmonieusement avec l'école existante, s'affirmant comme un point de repère dans le tissu urbain environnant. Notre proposition répond de manière réfléchie aux besoins de l'école et du public grâce à une subdivision efficace des programmes. La durabilité est mise à l'avant, notamment dans le choix des matériaux inspirés par l'architecture de l'école existante ainsi que le patrimoine architectural existant dans la région. La répartition stratégique des volumes et des ouvertures optimise l'efficacité énergétique du bâtiment, favorisant la ventilation naturelle et l'utilisation de la lumière naturelle, complétée par une toiture végétalisée. Cette proposition de projet assure une ouverture vers le jardin accolé, avec des vues sur la rivière et la vieille ville.

The demolition of building K revealed a long, previously hidden elevation, which prompted a broader architectural response: rather than treating this façade in isolation, the project proposes a unified architectural language for the entirety of buildings L/M.

This approach allows the structures to act as a coherent volume and initiates a more deliberate urban expression on the island, currently marked by visual dissonance.

The demolition of building K—previously attached to buildings L and M—unveiled a long, unarticulated façade, prompting a broader design response. Rather than addressing the exposed elevation in isolation, the project reimagines the entire L/M envelope.

The new façades are clad in horizontally laid white folded metal panels with a triangular wave profile, integrating sliding windows and white aluminium brise-soleils that enhance thermal performance while reinforcing linearity. The rooftop features new vaulted skylights in thermally broken PVC, significantly improving interior daylighting. The treatment extends to the northwest façade of building N, ensuring visual continuity across the site.

The former footprint of building K is now a landscaped parking area, introducing planting and permeability to a previously dense industrial zone. This transformation sets a precedent for future evolutions of the site, establishing a contemporary, unified language amid an eclectic built environment.

In parallel, a new 334 m² technical building (Poste P4–P5) has been constructed to house vital electrical infrastructure—previously vulnerable to flooding due to low elevation. Raised 2 metres above ground to exceed PPRI flood thresholds, the compact single-storey structure accommodates high- and low-voltage systems, a generator, and fuel storage. Its recessed concrete base affirms its infrastructural role, while a perimeter walkway wrapped in vertical pale metal brise-soleils brings rhythm and cohesion in dialogue with adjacent façades.

The removal of outdated technical posts (P5 and P6) freed additional ground for landscaping, further softening the site’s character. Parking spaces lost to new construction were reallocated on-site without expanding the project’s footprint.

Together, these two interventions form a restrained yet strategic transformation: at once technical and architectural, protective and expressive. Through minimal yet meaningful moves, the project asserts a renewed identity for the EDF Lab, rooted in clarity, resilience, and contextual integration.