About the project
Location: Rungis, France
Building type: Corsair Headquarters & catering facilities
Surface: 7 500 m²
Project and realization: 1995–1998
Gerard Pierre & Stefan Dobrev associated architects
The new headquarters of Corsair Airlines in Rungis are located in the service area near Orly Airport.
The project covers a built area of 14,500 m². The first stage consists of 7,500 m², which houses all company activities, apart from its Technical Services Division.
The building is designed to be seen from the raised viewpoint of the vehicles on the highway and features elements of the Corsair company logo. Thus, the front facade and the roof of the catering department resemble a large wave, while one of the office buildings with a spiral shaped roof takes the shape of the company’s logo. It is inclined towards the highway and is lighted up at night. The project transcribes the aeronautical world in architectural language.
Given the offices’ location in a noisy, aggressive, and polluted landscape, the interior was designed to be warm and welcoming. The two office buildings are organized around two atria – one circular and the other – rectangular, to form a peaceful interior arrangement, while facilitating internal visual communications.
The entrance hall is the link between the two atria. Its double-height glass wall with no visible interior structure is supported by tilted metallic posts on the outside of the building where the glass components are bolted onto exterior holding cables. The struts of the glass facades are also made up of supporting panels that significantly reduce the width of the vertical frames. The double-skin facade provides external protection against direct sunlight and noise.
