Gymnase Poissonniers sports centre in Paris

Location Paris, France

Client / operator City of Paris

Architect & Principal Designer Archi5 FR – 75002 Paris www.archi5.fr

Sports flooring Gerflor GmbH DE – 53840 Troisdorf www.gerflor.com

Author Archi5

Photos Sergio Grazia

Official opening 2020

URBAN GARDEN FOR SPORTS ENTHUSIASTS

GYMNASE POISSONNIERS SPORTS CENTRE IN PARIS

The construction of the Gymnase Poissonniers responds to the need for a generation of versatile and flexible facilities and contributes to a new urban ecology in Paris. A lively attraction for the neighbourhood, the new sports centre creates an opening between the functions it hosts and neighbouring residents and therefore creates new synergies and a regeneration of the neighbourhood. The project’s appeal lies in its connection to the surrounding area, its proximity to nature and the potential of the functions that can develop there.

A facility hosting an urban farm contributes to the challenges of today’s city. This sports centre offers the population a range of facilities and increases the scope for use. It is at the same time a sports facility, a garden and a place for urban agriculture. In order to serve as a point of reference for the district, the new sports hall creates transparency between all functions and also towards residents. This transparency is expressed through the building’s connection with its surroundings and its unity with nature.

The sports centre picks up on the central theme of nature, which is tangible for all visitors. It is

reflected in both form and function and can be seen in all aspects and scales of the building. The site is a pivotal point between open landscape with expansive views and a classic cityscape to the south. On the edge of the railway tracks, the city extends over the loading space of the SNCF warehouses and opens up the landscape to the railway tracks to the east and the public garden to the west. This building is a viable solution from which the urban symbol of the urban farm will emerge.

Upward movement The sports centre is structured by a play of layers that reveal transparencies and visual breakthroughs. These layers connect the frame to the ground and give the building an upward movement. The landscape project is laid out across the site in a single unit consisting of progressive sequences. The building becomes a hill that rises into the sky. The vegetation hugs the building, from the densest planting to a mineral soil at its highest elevations.

The garden features three levels: the ground-level garden made of wood species adapted to the climatic conditions of Paris and selected for their robustness; then a high, mineral-rich space with beautiful viewpoints; and finally, the landscape terrace, which is a place for innovative urban agriculture.

The rooms are bright and warm. The gymnasium and the multi-purpose room, which are clad in openwork wood, offer users a paradise of serenity.

Sports realm for new urban dwellers The facility also includes a health trail. This is made possible by a circular path that goes around the building and allows users to set their own goals. Due to its outdoor location, this walk is also ideal for a public that wants to exercise more independently and individually, as it is less restrictive than a gym. It corresponds to the sports practice of new urban dwellers who are looking for a jogging or exercise place near them, available without the need to register or book.

Accessible to all, whether athletes or strollers, this walk allows everyone to approach the farm without disturbing its operators. It reduces the boundaries between activities while admitting the breath of farming culture and capturing its changes throughout the seasons.

The project complies with the requirements of the City of Paris climate plan by providing for a consumption of less than 50 kWh / m² / year. The heating system uses geothermal energy in an innovative way, as it is sheltered in the piles of the building. The implementation of the constant energy detection system in the depth of the ground therefore required no earthworks other than the drilling for the foundations.