Maintenance and storage center for the T9 tramway
The aesthetics of the useful
This is a question of industrial architecture, a theme that we have already addressed on several occasions at the studio. How to make an infrastructure building, a useful, technical building, which is at the same time a real object of architecture and finds its place in the context of a changing neighborhood, becoming one of the new urban landmarks?
The "pleated" roof, reminiscent of 19th century industrial buildings, houses a succession of hangars with large bay windows. This design also favors the energy performance of the complex and natural light. The technical
and built areas are surrounded by landscaped areas. Undergrowth, gardens and planted alleys will provide places of relaxation, including from a visual standpoint. The alternation of functional and planted areas will thus mitigate the industrial character of the SMR while ensuring its operational efficiency.
Industrial architecture already has a primary quality: its size. Compared to what we usually see in the city - housing, small public facilities, offices... - industrial facilities imply large objects.
The setting in majesty of an industrial equipment in the suburbs of Paris
The concern for mixed use, which is much talked about at the moment, is not limited to mixing housing with offices and shops. We must also be able to find other workplaces in the city, including heavy equipment. In Orly, the T9 maintenance center, even at night, does not go unnoticed, especially when viewed from the train. Here we work late, and we start very early. There is a scenography of this activity, in the city, which is part of the urban spectacle of Greater Paris: a tramway will run every four to five minutes on this line, which will carry 70,000 to 80,000 passengers daily.
A contemporary technical equipment
The SMR project is located in Orly, at the confluence of the railroads,
in the Seine Valley area. We are in a landscape system where each contribution to the network of wooded areas, wetlands or natural areas promotes the preservation of biodiversity. More than a landscaping project, we want to develop a real landscape project. The landscape dimension is not an appendix to the project, but rather the link between nature, infrastructure and urbanity. The Tram 9 Maintenance and Storage Site is a universe where the notions of landscape and architecture are inseparable. Positioned at the crossroads of the rail and river networks, oriented towards the capital and the future site of the "Grands Vœux", the SMR is a symbol of modernity in the city of Orly. The built and landscaped ensemble will thus take on a remarkable and lasting identity, with particular attention paid to users and the environment, a future inhabited and animated place.
