This meeting and conviviality place, which can accommodate up to 1,300 place settings, is situated in the heart of a wooded site where can be found the largest perfume production plant of the Christian Dior brand.
The volume and layout of the project are designed in response to major issues of the existing site:
– heterogeneous buildings in their architectural style
– the lack of fluidity of the users journey accessing the restaurant from their place of work
– poor management of logistic flows, making the central free space a large area for truck traffic.
The project becomes an articulation between all the surrounding elements. It is connected to the existing building to the southwest by a footbridge on the first floor, and its elongated shape allows it to open onto the wood to the south, and to be closed to the parking lot and delivery access to the north.
Openness to nature is a strong focus of the project, it facilitates relaxation and escape during meals. The facade was therefore designed as an opening, promoting transparency between interior and exterior, and giving a view of the large oaks of the surrounding wooded area. To make them invisible, the kitchens are placed to the north, on the parking side. Treated as a separate volume, they fade away behind the restaurant volume. A service area is set up, allowing easy management of logistics flows.
One of the objectives of the project is to free up as much ground as possible to make it a pleasant central planted space. The extensive covering of the building underlines the fluidity brought by the project to the site, and the diagonal “fold” expresses the strong link between the ground floor and the first floor. Outside, this cover extends and protects from the sun, allowing to enjoy the shade of the terrace for lunch.
The construction and interior design of the project give prominence to wood. The use of this material fully answers to the desire of being part of a sustainable development approach, and also has the advantage of a shorter and cleaner construction site. The wood makes it possible to reduce the bearing points to the ground, and reinforces the naturalistic character of the project.
Inside, long wooden slats on the ceiling provide an acoustic treatment as well as a fluid and dynamic movement, constantly inviting the gaze to look outwards. The warm color of the wood serves as a common thread for the interior atmosphere: warm, cozy and relaxing.
By PALISSAD Architectures
