Green facade for Euronews Headquarters | Jakob + MacFarlane

Green facade

Jakob + MacFarlane ‘s collaboration with French artist Fabrice Hyber resulted in a sinuous green skin facade structure which covered the Euronews Headquarters in Lyon, hovering above unused docklands.

photography by © Nicolas Borel

A dialogue was initiated due to the referrence between the acid green color and the nuance of the Saone river, while respecting the form of the undulating landscape.

“A stretched cube was the main focus, which had two egg-shaped openings in the middle- referred to as the ‘eyes’, that allowed the constant supply of air and daylight, while providing views of the adjacent waterway”. The openings also referred to the idea that the news organization was around the clock, watching the world and gathering information.

The structure was surrounded by a glazed façade, doubled with an irregularly perforated aluminum cladding. The interior space is illuminated by the help of the double skin that allows free flow of light, and also enhances the perspective of the exterior space, while mimicking the flow of the Saone in retrospect.

photography by © Nicolas Borel

The building contains two primary spaces, the general administration being located at the ground level, which includes the restaurant and an entrance hall, while the rest of the building comprises recording studios, multimedia spaces, different offices and the euronews headquarters.

The ground floor contains the entry hall that is connecting the quay to the parallel circulation road to the east. Upper floors have two studios each with the atrium’s being connected by the balconies, keeping the vertical circulation core connection in contact.