Town Hall Saint Jacques de la Lande

LAN Architecture has just completed a new town hall in Saint-Jacques de la Lande, near the capital of Britanny, Rennes. It caps the creation of the Saint-Jacques de la Lande’s new city center. This project is the logical extension and contemporary version of the long architectural history of city halls. With its two squares, it is readily identifiable from the route. The façades are defined by their two layers, each one answering different needs and complementing the other perfectly. The first is a light and delicate skin of steel, which creates a sensation of visual penetration. This layer provides protection from the sun and it covers the second, “thicker” façade, which meets the building’s thermal performance needs.Within this structure, everything is about overlap, reading a distance, transparency, counter-light, and reflection. Everything is about light and character.

The architectural project is based on an image of unity, reassurance, and clarity that fosters a strong sense of identity without falling into the cliché of emblematic representations of power. The building acts as a catalyst for social interactions. The architecture of each side of the building creates a specific relationship with each bordering street. The full and empty spaces surrounding the central hall make it natural and intuitive for users to move from one office to another. The hall's double height seeks to connect the core of the building with the secondary entrance from the upper square. This connection is even more important because it facilitates the access point without confusing them.