Lumi 2.0

Following the shutdown of the previous construction site—with the structural works already completed from levels B-2 to L+4—a new program is written upon the foundations of the old. Our response seeks to understand the qualities of the project initiated nearly a decade ago and to reconcile them with new programmatic, economic, and climate imperatives. It is a double palimpsest, as intellectual as it is practical: we retain the structural principles and circulation cores to minimize demolition—preserving two basement levels and two superstructure levels—while injecting flexibility and adaptability.

Set upon two levels of underground parking, the four buildings of the macro-plot each engage with a unique public space: the Garonne river, the park, the alleyway (venelle), and the boulevard. The block becomes a link between these distinct contexts thanks to an active and permeable ground floor, which breaks up the monumentality, creates visual openings, and irrigates a large, green courtyard heart open to the residents.

Two family housing buildings stand out through a sculpted, terraced silhouette, whose intersection forms a communal terrace at the southwest corner—a stepped profile (épannelage) that ensures optimal sunlight for the block. Their thick facades deploy balconies, terraces, and loggias, sheltered from both bad weather and onlookers. To the north, a compact building anchors the street front, hosting a student residence and a ground-floor daycare center.

Facing the Garonne, the commercial/office building acts as a gateway signal to the city: two compact, mineral volumes connected by a central rift, which is more transparent and oriented toward the river. This break in the facade reduces the perceived density and offers a terrace on every floor. Inside, the floor plates and circulation spaces are dimensioned to accommodate varied and evolving public-access (ERP) activities—catering, offices, higher education facilities, and meeting centers—creating a truly multi-use venue.