Gymnase Guy Môquet – The "Chi va piano" Façade | Precast Concrete

The structure presents as a suspended monolith resting on a glazed band that encircles most of the building's perimeter. This design ensures openness toward the street and two lateral exterior spaces. The brand new 3,000 m² facility houses the Guy Môquet gymnasium - the second iteration of this name, replacing an aging predecessor. "This is fundamentally an urban project, hence the desired transparency. We absolutely wanted to avoid creating an enclosed box," explains Frédéric Quevillon, associate architect at Atelier Aconcept. Noémie Teodori, construction department head, adds: "The glazing maintains a permanent visual connection with the exterior spaces." However, belated safety requirements partially compromised this architectural vision, necessitating the obscuring of some glazed sections and diminishing the sought-after transparency.

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In Aubervilliers, the second Guy Môquet Gymnasium opened its doors in 2024. ©ACPresse 

The new gymnasium has been operational for several months. Originally designated as a training venue for handball and volleyball teams during the Paris 2024 Olympics, it ultimately hosted no events. Nevertheless, Aubervilliers, the project owner for this €8 million development, now benefits from modern facilities accessible to elite athletes, schools, associations, and resident clubs. "We've even created dedicated space for the town's pétanque club," adds Teodori. The venue can accommodate both local and national competitions, featuring a 900-seat grandstand, a significant upgrade from the previous facility which lacked spectator seating.

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What characterizes the façade is the impression of non-continuity between the façade panels. ©ACPresse 

White Cement Base

As a demonstration of sustainable construction, the Guy Môquet gymnasium prioritized environmental considerations. Notably, 90% of demolished concrete was recovered, recycled, and reused in infrastructure elements, while the building itself stands on ballasted columns. The façades, however, are clad in new aesthetic material, architectural concrete designed to emulate light natural stone. These elements were produced by Préga Normandie in Criquebeuf-sur-Seine, a subsidiary of GA Smart Building that's expanding beyond its parent company's traditional scope. The company responded to the tender by Defillon, a Léon Grosse subsidiary. "Initially, we proposed various textures and colors," explains Mickaël Carvalho, Director of Préga Normandie. "We developed a formula based on white cement, specifically Aalborg White CEM I 52.5 R NF CE."

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The façade panels feature three distinct thicknesses arranged in a random pattern. [©ACPresse]

Only Two Formworks 

The most distinctive characteristic of the facade is the impression of discontinuity between panels. Atelier Aconcept deliberately created a graphic effect through pianotage. "Working closely with the contractor and architecture firm, we developed a prefabrication solution that involved inverting formwork positions and masking certain sections," Carvalho explains. "Remarkably, only two formworks were needed to produce all 62 façade panels." Each panel measures 6.95m in height by 3.17m in width, totaling 1,357 m² of façade surface.

This ingenious process allowed the panels to display three different thicknesses of 14cm, 19cm, and 24cm in an apparently random pattern, as the architects intended. "This formwork technique not only optimized the project financially but also maintained perfect quality in the prefabrication of these façade panels," Carvalho concludes.

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The tonality of the façade recalls the color of light natural stone. [©ACPresse]