The future Nîmes Convention Centre
"The project is set in the heart of Nîmes city center, drawing on its rich and unique history and natural materials to create a link between present and past, and thus a continuity of the precious existing structure," says the project's prime contractor, Cabinet d'architecture Chabanne.
The program also includes a 700-seat auditorium with adjustable capacity, an exhibition hall on the ground floor, multi-functional meeting rooms and a restaurant.
90% of the building's energy needs will be covered by geothermal energy.
The building will be bioclimatic, certified by the Bâtiment durable Occitanie and BREEAM labels, and will feature recycled materials (aluminum), bio-sourced materials (cotton, hemp and linen insulation), local materials (natural stone facades) and green roofs.
This is where Stone Evolution comes in, producing the natural stone honeycomb façade on its premises in Morangis (91). The choice of local stone, split into 5 mm slices, to be combined with a 20 mm-thick honeycomb panel to form triangular blocks is indicative of a project that is as much technical as it is aesthetic, while remaining mindful of its environmental footprint.
The total surface area of the building is close to 17,000 m2, with over 4,000 m2 of facades.
Stone Evolution once again demonstrates the benefits of its materials, which have a low environmental footprint given that the basic product is natural stone and that they are produced in France.