A place full of life and innovation, is how Hutchinson defines 507 Fab House, built in an 18th century paper mill which was rebuilt by Gustave Eiffel in 1869 and has now been renovated by Encore Heureux architectes.
A building with a long history, an 18th century paper mill partially rebuilt in 1869 by Gustave Eiffel and considered one of Europe’s most beautiful factories, was recently renovated by Encore Heureux architectes to convert it into a vibrant new centre for Hutchinson.
Encore Heureux was asked to create a flexible, welcoming space featuring high-tech digital systems with a somber external appearance in line with the industrial look of this building, owned by the company since 1853. The project became a model for Hutchinson, which reproduced the same basic concept in its American site, 616 Fab House: renovation of a historic industrial building, revitalising it with high-tech spaces for socialisation. In a vast programme implemented by a multidisciplinary team including François Guiget (Aubry et Guiguet Programmation), the architects responded with an interior design project incorporating modular open spaces that make the most of the building’s visible frame of green steel pillars and girders. The series of functions required (auditorium, meeting rooms, library, workspaces, etc.) included three main spaces which serve as the company’s digital showcase, a place for receiving clients and partners and presenting its products and systems. These are the high-tech spaces of the tele-attendance room, where meetings are held which go beyond geographic boundaries, permitting a form of visual contact which is very much like reality; the “immersive” room and the 3D room, where 3D technologies are used to present products and work on designs in an immersive fashion.
(Agnese Bifulco)
Design: Encore Heureux architectes (Julien Choppin + Nicola Delon)
Location: Châlette-sur-Loing, France
Photos: © Cyrus Cornut; © Kino; © RP RIBIERE
www.hutchinson.com
encoreheureux.org
