Cosmocité: A Contemporary Showcase for the Scientific Culture of Metropolitan Grenoble

The architectural consortium comprised of ARCANE Architectes (France) and Cardin Julien (Canada) is delighted to unveil the new Centre de sciences Cosmocité, built on the Grands Moulins de Villancourt heritage site in Pont-de-Claix, Isère (France).

Photo credit: Nicolas Trouillard

Photo credit: Nicolas Trouillard

Photo credit: Nicolas Trouillard

The building's bold design, conceived by architects Jean-Yves Guibourdenche and Jean-François Julien, is in line with the museum concept developed by scenographer CREO, in close collaboration with La Casemate and the scientific community. Cosmocité aims to preserve the industrial memory of the Grands Moulins de Villancourt site, which was an important part of the industrial and human heritage of the urban agglomeration and the municipalities of Echirolles and Pont-de-Claix in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Taking up the exact placement layout of the demolished building, which could not be reused, the architects created an assemblage of volumes that link the region's industrial past, embodied by the white volume, with the contemporary scientific focus of the new institution embodied by the black volume.

Photo credit: Nicolas Trouillard

Photo credit: Nicolas Trouillard

Photo credit: Nicolas Trouillard

Photo credit: Nicolas Trouillard

The translucent, glossy white volume houses the passageways and related spaces, while the matte and opaque black volume houses all spaces dedicated to the dissemination of scientific content: the planetarium, immersion room, and permanent exhibition hall. Recalling the universe's great mysteries and humankind's place in the cosmos, the black volume's monolithic, dark, and mysterious quality invites onlookers to fathom its scale, and to reflect on its infinite expanse. Inside, the vertical and horizontal corridors are bathed in natural light, and offer views of the surrounding landscape. The volumetric design reflects the building's function and contributes to the site's global message: science that's welcoming and open to all.

Photo credit: Nicolas Trouillard

Photo credit: Nicolas Trouillard

Photo credit: Nicolas Trouillard

The Planetarium

Circular and inclined at 10°, the space can be accessed via a vision adaptation waiting area and an acoustic airlock. With a capacity of 80, including 4 for people with reduced mobility, it is equipped with reclining seats, providing a 360° view of a semi-spherical screen, 13 meters in diameter. It is lined with a circular technical gallery and a data centre.

Photo credit: Nicolas Trouillard

Photo credit: Nicolas Trouillard

Photo credit: Nicolas Trouillard

Photo credit: Nicolas Trouillard

The Permanent Exhibition

The architectural team called on the Montreal-based digital studio CREO to create the Cosmocité scenography. To meet the numerous requirements of this ambitious project, CREO put together a multidisciplinary design team, who worked in close collaboration with the project's Grenoble-based scientific committee, as well as with Centre de Culture Scientifique, Technique et Industrielle de Grenoble. Cosmocité's highly interactive exhibition is designed to answer fundamental questions such as: Is the Earth unique? Is it possible to predict everything? Spread over two floors, it covers everything from the birth of stars to the causes of earthquakes. In addition, a 14-metre-high Foucault pendulum spans the building to demonstrate the Earth's rotation.

Photo credit: Nicolas Trouillard

Photo credit: Nicolas Trouillard

Photo credit: Nicolas Trouillard

Photo credit: Nicolas Trouillard

Photo credit: Nicolas Trouillard

Photo credit: Nicolas Trouillard

A Bioclimatic Design

The building has been designed to balance the space of the west-facing garden with that of the eastern forecourt. The hall and staircase are glazed to capture free energy from the sun, and to encourage the public to use the staircase to climb to the upper floors. However, this solar energy is controlled by screen-printed glass to prevent overheating. Summer thermal comfort is ensured by:
- A heat inert cement structure;
- Efficient solar protection: 50% screen-printed glass on the east facade, sunbreaker structures on the west facade, and external solar shading;
- Openings for natural ventilation;
- Air quality is ensured by a double-flow system, with adapted flow rates and filters.

Energy Optimization

Energy efficiency is primarily about reducing the building's thermal requirements, which is made possible via a compact construction and a high-performance envelope. The building's main structure is in reinforced concrete, which is insulated from the outside to eliminate thermal bridges and the associated risk of condensation, and to benefit from an inertia conducive to summer comfort. The building envelope's performance has been designed to be well below the French regulatory threshold in terms of energy requirements. Heating is provided by way of a district heating system, and cooling by way of heat pumps.

Landscaping

To the east of the building, overlooking Cours Saint-André, an urban stone forecourt accommodates the varying flow of visitors drawn to this site and its activities. To the west, a garden and its outdoor amphithéâtre form a buffer zone between the parking lots and the Centre de sciences. To the south, a conserved hundred-year-old cedar tree serves as a reminder of the city's continuing renewal.

ARCANE Architectes

An architect, urban planner, and economist, ARCANE Architectes is a resolutely generalist firm, with the ability to respond to operations on all scales in both the private and public sectors. Based in Grenoble since its founding in 1986, its strength resides in its talented and creative team, which supports its clients at every stage of the building process, from the initial sketch to delivery. Backed by a wealth of experience in both new construction and restoration, the firm is renowned for its rigorous approach to deadlines, cost control, and site supervision. Each project is conceived as a unique adventure driven by creativity and innovation, and always carried out in a sustainable and resource-efficient manner.

Cardin Julien

Founded in Montreal in 1992, Cardin Julien is an architecture firm that conceives and produces major projects in the public and private sectors. The firm specializes in the design of public and cultural buildings serving the community. Guided by the principles of sustainable development, the group proposes distinctive designs that are in harmony with their surroundings. Through the durability, innovation, and aesthetic appeal of its creations, the firm aims to leave an impression on both minds and hearts.