The Centre is a new urban space.
Integrated into the vast landscape of the basins and docks, it creates a link between the city centre, the Saint-Nicolas and Eure neighbourhoods. Designed within its built environment, the existing urban district was redeveloped to assert its centrality and attractiveness.

Changing the perception of scales by redesigning the district, by connecting facilities and neighbourhoods, seemed necessary to bring out a domestic scale in this port facility of large-scale buildings.

An urban passage was developed to give the Saint Nicolas neighbourhood residents access to a floating footbridge and the docks.

The Centre is designed to magnify it materially, to give it the dimension of a landmark building.

The side and rear elevations are clad in copper with orange-red reflections which highlight the texture of the brick. An immense sheet of glass - magnificent window with views of the basins - the facade becomes a motif on its outside. This transparency extends to the west elevation.

At night, the lighting brings the copper-clad volume alive, varying according to its programming.

The building layout is functional and flexible to allow a multiplicity of configurations depending on the scheduled events.

In the centre of the composition, the new volume accommodates two auditoriums, one with 400-2100 seats treated as a “black box”.

Under three naves, the Exhibition Centre includes an exhibition hall bathed in abundant daylight, as is the community council chamber.