Excerpt: In Cosmopolitan, designed by TAA (Taillandier Architectes Associés), the residence is organised in two buildings, positioned on the west side of the site so as to distance the apartments as much as possible from the noise pollution created by the highway and to offer east- and west-facing living spaces. The two buildings are set apart to limit visual confrontation, while the varying heights offer a dynamic volumetric dialogue between the two buildings.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] The Cosmopolitan Residence project, a new building consisting of a student residence offering 152 apartments and general services, is located in Lormont, a municipality in the northeast sector of the Bordeaux agglomeration. The project site is surrounded to the north by Fontbelleau Park, to the west by an industrial hangar, to the south by Jean Raymon Guyon Street, and to the east by the N230 highway.
The residence is organised in two buildings, positioned on the west side of the site so as to distance the apartments as much as possible from the noise pollution created by the highway and to offer east- and west-facing living spaces. The two buildings are offset to limit visual confrontation, while the varying heights offer a dynamic volumetric dialogue between the two buildings and reduce the perceived scale of the building within its environment.
The composition and orientation of the two buildings create an open composition, allowing the landscaping continuity of Fontbellau Park into the open spaces of the project. The two volumes rise to a height of two stories along the length of the plot and culminate to the south on the street side at six stories, architecturally indicating the entrance of the project. This composition of volumes and the offset positioning of the two buildings thus create a dynamic tension in the composition.
The shared spaces and general services, including a mixed-use hall, a gym, and a laundry room, are located on the ground floor, directly adjoining the entrance and main hall. These spaces are generously glazed, opening up onto the landscape spaces and terraces open to the residents. The parking spaces are also located on the ground floor, integrated within the building, and masked with expanded metal louvers identical to the screens between apartment balconies.
The continuous balconies along all the façades offer outside spaces to all apartments, separated by screens positioned at a 45° angle, alternating from one story to another, creating a subtly animated façade. The railings are composed of vertical bannisters, doubled with perforated metal, masking the edges of the concrete balconies. All of the metalworking is finished off with a champagne-coloured powder coating.
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