Yncrea Lille Campus
Merging three existing schools into one single, vertical campus

2019

Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Interior Architecture

Introduction

Alongside Eiffage, Maes, Elan, and BERIUM, Snøhetta has delivered a design proposal for the engineering school Yncrea in Lille, in the North of France.

The project merges three existing schools into one single, vertical campus, regrouping the individual educational entities and research facilities under one roof.

Technical details

Typologies
Education & Research
Status
Design Proposal
Location
Lille, France
Collaborators

Maes, Elan, Eiffage, BERIUM

Size
22,693 m² - Educational (7 925m²), Mixed use (1 403m²), Firms & Start Ups (1 172m²), Research (3 371m²), Offices (433m²)

Functioning dually as roof and staircase, the wooden ribbon is clearly identifiable from the outside through the building’s transparent skin.

Photo: ENGRAM Studio

Photo: ENGRAM Studio

The different spaces are connected through a continuous path materialized through a wooden spiral-like ribbon connecting the different programs and floors while creating an intuitive path through the building – all the way from the main entrance to the auditoriums.

The Yncrea Lille Campus invites visitors, students, and staff to explore the school's amenities and public rooftop terrace. With its panoramic views overlooking the city, this open-air space, dubbed "The Beating Heart," is well-suited for concerts to exhibitions and other student activities.

The building's folded façade gives the building a kinetic feel, as if it is changing shape when passersby stroll past. Transparent from one angle and opaque from the other, the building displays its busy inner life while offering more secluded and shaded spaces for students and staff to enjoy.

Part of the rooftop doubles as a photovoltaic canopy and there are dedicated spaces for urban farming. Planted trees with a soil depth of one meter provide shading and a comfortable refuge for local insects and birds.