cité des sciences

The law concerning the construction and equipping of a new building for the National Archives and the development of the surrounding area was passed on August 28, 2020. The project was entrusted to the Belval Fund, a public institution responsible for developing state facilities on the Belval site, and is part of the larger construction program for the City of Science, Research, and Innovation, which comprises two main development hubs: the university hub, north of the Blast Furnace Terrace, and the socio-cultural hub, to the south. The socio-cultural hub, centered around the preserved industrial complex of the Blast Furnaces, includes the university library and the Rockhal concert hall, and will therefore also house the new National Archives building.

 

The building consists of three distinct volumes, each with its own function and architecture, organized into five main functional zones.

 

The building comprises three volumes: one housing storage areas, one housing administrative functions, logistics facilities, and public consultation spaces, and the other a buffer zone. At ground level, these three volumes rest on a base containing the reception and exhibition areas, as well as all the rooms housing the building's technical installations.

 

The horizontal lines of the volumes lend the project a certain discretion in contrast to the verticality of the blast furnaces. The National Archives building's location, set back from the industrial remains, creates a public square that enhances the stature of the surrounding buildings.

Sustainable Construction and Energy Concept

 

The new National Archives building is a net-positive energy building (taking into account the embodied energy of the construction materials and their implementation). This is achieved through:

 

The use of recyclable, reusable, and low-environmental-impact materials.

 

Minimizing the building's energy consumption by optimizing passive components (the building's thermal envelope), creating a buffer zone, and implementing high-performance technical systems and equipment.

 

Renewable energy production facilities include 5,700 m² of photovoltaic panels producing 590,000 kWh/year, compared to the building's estimated annual electricity consumption of 420,000 kWh/year; 20 geothermal probes connected to a heat pump system covering nearly 65% ​​of the building's heating needs; and a preheating earth-air heat exchanger (also known as a Canadian well) that reduces energy requirements by approximately 17%.

 

Project Management:

 

Architect: Paul Bretz Architectes Sàrl

 

Civil Engineer: Milestone Consulting Engineers

 

Mechanical Engineer: BLS Energieplan Sàrl