Le Nuage

The south-facing exposure of the new Rennes conservatory called for some sun protection. For the architects at Tetrarc, this was an opportunity to create a strong, poetic signal: what better than a cloud to cast a little shade? An inflatable structure was considered at first. But doesn't the beauty of a cloud lie in the way it filters and reflects light, in its outlines that sometimes sharpen and sometimes fade? In the end, the architects chose to build a light, transparent steel structure combined with anodised aluminium blades that absorb and reflect the sun's rays.

PAAR carried out the detailed design and organised the fabrication and installation of the structure, in partnership with the Legendre Group, with constant attention to technical feasibility, project economics and respect for the architect's intentions. Despite its 6 tonnes, the cloud seems to float above the building entrance. The structure, 19 m long and 4 m high, reveals at its centre a lattice beam delivered on site in three 6 m sections.