Artem Nancy

Straddling the 19th century barracks in Nancy, OMA’s proposal for the campus of ARTEM consists of three long parallel slabs, two of them linked by a series of beams, creating, almost by stealth, an open, low-lying megastructure.

ARTEM is an alliance between three major universities in Nancy: ENSAA, ENSMN, and ICN Business School. The proposed campus allows each institution to function independently but also fosters interaction and experimentation between disciplines through the connecting beams – each with a unique section resembling an urban typography. The curved roofs between the institutions are public spaces with gardens and recreation areas.

The separation of the institutions results in functional units arranged on the site in order to encourage meetings, and even frictions between the different practices. It is a system that requires no stylistic unity, but rather a confrontation of the different disciplines to underline the identity of each entity.

The proposal is inspired by the geometry of the site and its specific urban position. But rather than a passive contextual approach, our ambition is to consolidate and reimagine the urban realm around the barracks. The buildings are not merely preserved in a frozen state, but become the basis for the new campus' rhythmic module, a template for the new insertions. With the addition of new buildings, this enclave transforms into a system of open thresholds that filter exchanges with the urban fabric.

credits

Architects: OMA (Clément Blanchet)
Client: Artem
Nature of the operation: Competition
Realised in: 2006
Status: Competition
Site: Nancy, France
Program: Education
Budget: NC

team composition

Models: Vincent de Rijk
Photographie: Frans Parthesius, Boskop
Vertical transportation: Setec
Interiors, landscape: Inside Outside
Renderings: Auralab