Biodiversarium in Banyuls-sur-Mer

  • View of the Biodiversarium in Banyuls-sur-Mer, a compact horizontal volume with corrugated metal façade facing the harbour, set against the hillside town.
  • View of the Biodiversarium in Banyuls-sur-Mer, a compact horizontal volume in corrugated metal cladding, contrasting with tiled roofs and the coastal skyline.
  • Street view of the Biodiversarium in Banyuls-sur-Mer, a compact horizontal volume with corrugated metal cladding and ribbon glazing facing the quay.
  • Interior view of the Biodiversarium in Banyuls-sur-Mer, a dark exhibition corridor lined with illuminated wall aquariums and integrated didactic panels.
  • Interior view of the Biodiversarium in Banyuls-sur-Mer, with a glazed promenade, timber structure and ceiling framing the harbour and historic buildings.
  • Interior view of the Biodiversarium in Banyuls-sur-Mer, showing a timber-clad stair with glass balustrades against a dark, marine-toned wall.
  • View from the Biodiversarium’s perforated metal balcony in Banyuls-sur-Mer, with curved glazed facade overlooking the marina, harbour and surrounding hills.
  • Site plan of the Biodiversarium in Banyuls-sur-Mer, showing the compact seafront volume between cliff and harbour, integrated with roads, plots and vegetation.
    Site plan
    N
  • Ground floor plan of the Biodiversarium in Banyuls-sur-Mer, showing compact longitudinal layout of aquariums, labs and service spaces between cliff and quay.
    ground floor plan
  • Ground floor plan of the Biodiversarium in Banyuls-sur-Mer, showing compact longitudinal layout with aquariums, labs, circulation cores and service zones.
    1st floor plan
  • Technical floor plan of the Biodiversarium in Banyuls-sur-Mer, showing a compact, orthogonal layout of labs and aquariums around a central stair core.
    3rd floor plan
  • Technical elevation of the Biodiversarium in Banyuls-sur-Mer, showing a compact horizontal volume with layered, corrugated metal façade bands.
    north elevation
  • Longitudinal section of the Biodiversarium in Banyuls-sur-Mer, showing stacked aquariums, labs and circulation cores in a compact seafront volume.
    transverse section

Project description

The Biodiversarium is dedicated to research and to the dissemination of knowledge on Mediterranean biodiversity. Inserted between the cliff and the quay in a heterogeneous context, the compact building adopts a horizontal, abstract volume. Corrugated, micro-perforated metal cladding reinforces this abstraction and captures the changing light of the seafront. The facility stacks aquariums, educational spaces and laboratories around a large vertical circulation space. The visitor route, structured by framed views of the harbour and the horizon, highlights the relationship between science and its subject, the sea.

Project details

  • Address
    19 avenue Pierre Fabre, Banyuls-sur-Mer, Pyrénées-Orientales
  • Dates
    2010-2017
  • Programme
    aquariums, offices, laboratories, projection and conference rooms, exhibition spaces
  • Surface area
    5,461 m2
  • Budget
    7.6 M€
  • Regulatory framework
    RT 2012 – 40 %
  • Notable details
    Hybrid wood-concrete construction

Credits

  • Client
    Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris Sorbonne
  • Lead architect
    Tectoniques (architect)
  • Project management
    Architecture Environnement (architect), Tectoniques Ingénieurs (cost consultant), Jacques Anglade (timber structure), IGBAT&CO (MEP engineering, concrete structure, roads and utilities), ITF (Aquarium engineering firm), Inddigo (sustainability consultant)
  • Photography
    Tectoniques

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