EKLAA
Eklaa, a stylish facade named after Icelandic volcanoes
Like a large urban screen deployed in the city of the Lumière brothers, the Eklaa facade reflects the sky and the large trees of Avenue Tony-Garnier, and pay homage to the legendary Gerland Stadium facing it. Located in Lyon’s 7th district, this office building of 11,000 m² is in a privileged urban location.
The stylish facade consists of a series of vertical metal sunshades that draw its volume skywards. Facing the stadium, it is double-glazed to soften the transition between the large scale of the city and the more intimate scale of the offices contained within it.
Eklaa is made up of several volumes that wrap around a patio in a U-shape where a magnolia tree, the living heart of the project, takes centre stage. This layout maximises the influx of natural light and transparency on the six office floors.
The base of the building, which is glazed or protected by a mineral mashrabiya to a large extent, lightens the building by appearing to detach it from the ground.
A large covered forecourt connects the two entrance halls and softens the passage between the public space of the street and the private space of the offices. The planted patio, designed to be a meeting place that can host all kinds of events, is enlivened by the design of the ribbonlike staircases.
Various wood accents provide warmth in the modular and easily divided office spaces. A huge terrace extends around the patio over the sixth floor to offer a unique panorama of the city.
Eklaa, which has natural ventilation, is a virtuous building.
Like the Icelandic volcanoes from which it takes its name, it draws part of its energy from the depths of the Earth: geothermal probes provide heating or cooling depending on the season.
