Gare
Villejuif-Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France, project : Dominique Perrault Architecte
After officially opening last January on line 14 of the Paris Metro, Villejuif-Gustave Roussy Station is one of the deepest transport infrastructures in France. An impressive design by Dominique Perrault that transforms an underground space 50 metres deep into a place flooded with natural light.
Villejuif-Gustave
Roussy Station blurs the boundaries between the open public space and closed
station space. Above ground, its spiral
architecture exerts a centripetal force on the urban fabric, drawing it towards
the space underground.
The large concrete cylinder, 70 metres
in diameter, is crossed by walkways and escalators infused with natural light
that flows through to the platforms located some 50 metres below. Light and
easily readable architecture, naturally lit and ventilated, which accompanies
the flows in the most natural way possible. The central cylinder draws all the
passengers into the heart of a single structure. As they transit, passengers are
in contact with what is happening outside. Combining public space and station,
the project transgresses the conventional idiom of underground works to create a
fully-fledged public structure.
The
station consists roof has three coverings. A central transparent circular roof provides
shelter from the rain, while, at the same time, allowing outside air to
circulate laterally. This roof features a peripheral beam with a set of tie
rods and cables attached to it that are connected to a central node, the station’s
‘eye’. The roof is completed by elements made of ETFE (ethylene
tetrafluoroethylene), a material chosen for its distinctive properties of transparency,
lightness, strength and great elegance. Finally, two other non-concentric discs
placed on the roof at two different heights illuminate the forecourt and draw
attention to the station, while also sheltering passengers from the sun. Like some sort of canopy, the two discs,
whose surface area measures 3,273 m², are
made of stainless steel mesh elements stretched between radial beams. Inside,
1808 m² of silver-plated aluminium wires decorate the large shaft and electrify
the heart of the station.
Gaëlle
Lauriot-Prévost, a partner at Dominique Perrault Architecture, designed the
interior fittings, lighting and acoustics. The project draws on a material like
stainless steel in many forms: smooth, reticulated, perforated,
mirror-polished, satin-finished. Lighting fixtures and acoustic panels extend
across the ceiling, giving the station a regular pattern and rhythm.
The
industrial lighting appliances mix with daylight and are reflected on the
surfaces, immersing passengers in an authentic spectacle of light. A sundial designed by the Chilean artist
Ivan Navarro transforms the ceiling of level -9 into a starry sky of neon
lights and mirrors, so all the passengers can enjoy a cosmic visual experience.
Villejuif - Gustave Roussy Station is
part of the Grand Paris Express, the largest civil engineering project in
Europe featuring over 200 km of automatic lines and 68 new stations. It is
first and foremost a territorial and city-building project in line with
collective aspirations for a new kind of urban experience.
Client: Société des grands projets (SGP); Engineering project management: SETEC; AMO: Artemis (groupement Artelia + Arcadis + BG); Project Management: Dominique Perrault Architect; Egineering: SETEC TPI (civil engineering), SETEC bâtiment (construction engineering), Ingérop (coordination, interfaces), TESS (special structure, façades, roofing ETFE), AXIO (economist), Jean-Paul Lamoureux (acoustics and photometrics), Denis Thélot (fire safety and accessibility); Companies: Groupement CAP (Vinci construction, Spie Batignolles), Systra, Artelia, Bouygues bâtiment IDF, AXIMA, INEO. photo: © Michel Denancé_Dominique Perrault Architecte_ADAGP
