Designed by Colboc Franzen & Associés, It?s impossible not to notice the L?Arbrisseau neighborhood center in the southern suburbs of Lille. Its helical shape, the staircase that winds itself up around the sides of the building and its aluminum cladding, like a space vessel?s, all make it stand out. They create a contrast with a rather disjointed and sometimes deprived urban environment that nonetheless holds some pleasant surprises, including a sunflower swimming pool around the back that is straight out of the Seventies.
Photography: Paul Raftery
However incongruous it might seem, the building was indeed built and designed together with local people and the city council. Users came up with ideas, ranging from the most trivial to the most metaphorical, that were included in the final project. They wanted an aquarium; they?ll find it behind the reception desk. They wanted a library; it?s there all right. But they also wanted a tree to make sure there was the symbol of their neighborhood, which is called l?Arbrisseau (?arbre? is French for tree). And so they got a tree, a 12-meter tree of life with a terrace nestling on each level and a panoramic viewpoint at its tip. Photography: Paul Raftery
It was Lille City Council?s ambition to create something ?beautiful? and ?high quality? in the ?suburbs?. L?Arbrisseau is in the south of Lille, an area that is undergoing radical redevelopment after years of social and economic decline. There is clear political ambition and varied...