
Centre des Congres de Rennes (FR)
LOCATION:
Rennes (FR)
ARCHITECT:
Jean Guervilly
MODEL:
Custom Design Rennes
MORE INFO:
www.centre-congres-rennes.fr (customer)
www.guervilly-mauffret.com (architect)
The Couvent des Jacobins was founded in 1369. It was named after the members of the Order of Preachers, known as Jacobins in French and the Dominicans in English. This new order, created in 1215, was seen as particularly original due to its setting up in city centres. The church’s first stone was laid on 2 February 1369 in the Saint-Malo neighbourhood, with the Duke of Brittany in attendance: its construction marked the beginning of an important spiritual, intellectual and political role in both the town’s and Brittany’s history.
Currently with no congress center, the Communauté d’Agglomération Rennes Métropole (Rennes Métropole Agglomeration Council) decided to create a new-generation venue that would combine the strengths of the urban basin and Brittany, where professional, university and cultural exchanges could take place. This would make it a venue for events but also a place of production.
The critical decision was to locate the congress center in the heart of the city. Thus, a Jacobin Monastery of the 15th century, listed historic monument, was chosen for the importance of its roots in the history of Rennes and Brittany. The architect’s idea was to excavate under the monastery to gain space below ground to avoid adding floors to the historic building: this project does not only support and showcase the monastery but it also transforms key areas like the nave of the former chapel, now a 300 seat hall that brings new life into the historic space while conserving its character.
This design faced the challeTnge of maintaining the cohesion of the historic monument during the earthworks under its foundations: a plan was designed to install a temporary structure made up of a mesh of concrete beams set on a series of piles and micropiles. Some 70 jacking points were used to bear the 10,000 tonne monastery, with each jack supporting about 500 tonnes. During these operations, the historic monument was carefully instrumented to monitor its behaviour. Following the construction of three underground levels, the jacks were removed, allowing the monastery to rest on its permanent supports – structural posts placed at the intersections of the main and secondary beams. For the new-build part of the project, the main difficulty consisted in putting up the high walls of the main auditorium and the metal frame that covers its large box.
To meet the requirement of the Historic Monuments architect, a number of cloister arches that had been closed were re-opened and windows and doors shown in the original drawings were restored. To further maintain the site’s identity, new stained glass windows like those that existed in the south gallery in the 17th century were installed, as well as sculptured ornamentation at the cornices and fascias in the cloister. When the congress centre opened after 35 months of works, the cloister showed a central garden bearing witness to its original function as a place for meditation.
Combining heritage and modernity, this innovative building provides a wide range of modular spaces. Boasting two auditoriums (1000 and 400 people) the Couvent des Jacobins also offers 4,000m² of exhibition space, 25 committee rooms around the historic building and its modern extension. Its original architecture, unique in Europe, is a source of inspiration ensuring each event is unforgettable: a large terrace with panoramic views, its Jardin du Cloître garden and its ambulatory are conducive to serenity between working sessions.
For this particular project Ascénder produced a custom design model designed by the architect after winning an international tender where all the main seating companies participated at. A very special model with lots of details and special features: French oak, Steelcut Trio fabric from Kvadrat, power & USB charger and anti panic writing tablets produced in oak with a particular blocking system to prevent vandalism. Similarly, tipping seats were manufactured with perforations for acoustics and all arms were upholstered with a demountable system to allow easy re-upholstery. And all the above integrated into a chair whose back creates a “continuos effect” while having perforations for air conditioning. A perfect chair for an outstanding venue.