Description

The City of Angers has launched an ambitious economic and commercial project at the Buisson commercial zone. This zone covers 53 hectares, including more than 200,000 sqm reserved for the Atoll project.
Behind the call for tender is the company SARA (for the development of the region of Angers), which was granted concession to develop the commercial zone, to be assisted by Angers Loire Développement and the company Sites et Commerces.
The aim is to design a gateway to the town adapted to the scale of the region, and provide an architectural alternative to standard shopping centres. Located on the edge of the town of Beaucouzé, on a largely agricultural site, the Atoll is a slightly irregular ellipse shape.
The layout and construction of the project reflect the existing landscape by adapting the nature of the land.

The project offers a net surface area of 91,000 sq.m.
The four poles, separated by four corridors, rise up like four great entry porches. The structure is covered with a white aluminium net, which is perforated and backlit.
The shops of the Atoll are arranged in a dynamic layout, while the carpark blends into the garden.
The buildings enveloppe, 8-12m from the main structure, provides a protected area behind the shops for deliveries, away from the customers view at the centre of the Atoll, and provides a clear passage for security services.
The outer cover runs from the inside out, following the access porches up to the roof to form an awning covering part of the promenade. On the inside, the awning rises up over a glass wall offering views of the various shop fronts. The shop front can be seen clearly above and below the awning.

Smaller constructions, designed like smooth white concrete pebbles, punctuate the visitors promenade, creating more intimate areas in the style of a traditional street of shops.
At the centre of the Atoll lie wooden-clad buildings sheltered by trees house restaurants, conveniences, a first-aid unit etc.
The height of the building is limited to just 12 meters.

THE FACADE
The shiny, mother-of-pearl white façade provides the building with unity, featuring a heat-lacquered finishing that reflects the light and surrounding landscapes.
The enveloppe encloses and secures the building, and can be divided as follows:
- from the ground up to around 3m high, the perforations are small in diameter in order to conceal views from outside
- from 3-12m high, the perforations are shaped as diamonds of varying sizes. The rounded shape of the façade provides a subtle effect based on natural light
- above the height of 12m, the façade curves horizontally and opens up, in compliance with security restrictions in case of fire.
The façade complies with environnemental performance requirements, while limiting the visual pollution from deliveries and the compaction of waste.

THE LANDSCAPE
The Atoll features 60,000 sq.m. of greenery in and around the centre. These areas are planted with 580 trees and more than 15,000 bushes.
The trees are mainly maples (Acer palmatum, Acer ginnala, Acer saccharinum), hornbeams, Scots pines, as well as oaks (Quercus robur) and weeping willows (Salix babylonica).
The landscape plays a major part in the projects design, from the outlying areas of the grounds to the inner courtyard, not to mention the buildings porches, the carpark and the roof garden at the centre of the plot.
The three carpark access routes join at the centre of the Atoll around a planted ring. Around the ring, the land dips down where run-off water can be evacuated.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The HQE approach and fulfilment of the environmental quality charter guided the architectural design and techniques.
With the help of specialists in the project management team, particularly in the fields of bioclimatic design, the simulation of thermal dynamics, renewable energy and natural lighting, each of the areas of the environmental quality charter were analysed.
Special attention was paid to energy management, given that the tertiary sector is the main consumer of energy in France with nearly 40% of total consumption.
In 2009, the Atoll was awarded French certification for tertiary sector buildings (HQE®) by Certivéa.
To encourage the architectural quality and landscape aspects, several targets were qualified as "high performance": the relationship between the building and its immediate environment, the management of waste, acoustic and olfactory comfort.
Other targets were qualified as "good performance": the low environmental impact of the worksite, the management of energy and water.

LIGHTING
The Atoll is surrounded by a line of white mother-of-pearl casing one and a half km long.
The ellipse, which curves up at the top, is entirely backlit, with colours varying from white to red, from gold to sky blue.
The evanescent effect of the light brings out the perforated pattern and creates a subtle mashrabiyya effect wich blends in with the surrounding landscape and provides a local landmark.
The inside of the casing along the promenade is also backlit with a single pure white light, allowing the shop fronts to be clearly visible.

Designed

2008

Completed

2012

Technical data

Land: 23 ha
Net surface area: 91,000 sq.m
Shop surface area: 71,000 sq.m
Tender: 2008
Building permit: June 2009
Start of work: March 2010
Delivery: April 2012
Investment: €145 million
Shopping catchment area: 800,000 inhabitants
Individual shops: 50
Parks and gardens: 60,000 sp.m
Carpark: 2,700 spaces

Project team

Client
Compagnie de Phalsbourg
Philippe Journo - Chairman and CEO
Pierre Vanderberken - Works director

Project management - architecture
Antonio Virga Architect
AAVP Architecture - Vincent Parreira

Engineers
Coordination : Girec engineering
Environmental quality : Elan
Lightings : Les Eclaireurs

Landscaping
Atelier Paul Arène