April 2015 – The team of students in charge of reporting on school life visited the construction site and was able to meet Claire Mathieu (Cabinet Sud Architectes), one of the architects of the renovation project of the old garage named “New Deal“: our young reporters arrived on the spot with many questions, in particular about the adaptation of such infrastructures, the stages and the stakes of the rehabilitation of the building or the duration of the building site.
A school set up in a former garage is somewhat atypical. The building was built, at the request of André Citroën himself, from 1930 to 1932, by the architect Maurice-Jacques Ravazé, as the largest garage in the world at the time; on May 8, 1992, it was registered as a historic monument in France.
Since 2013, the building has been undergoing major rehabilitation work on 30,000 m2, to accommodate offices, our school and parking lots, whereas it was originally an industrial building.
The garage was purchased by the Groupe immobilier Sixième Sens. The Citroën brand wished to retain ownership of the first floor in order to preserve the display of its car models.
The Sud Architects firm won the competition in 2011 to carry out the renovation project. They worked in collaboration with a firm of heritage architects (Alep Architects), in order to respect the norms related to the historical monument.
Claire Mathieu confided to the students that she had respected several objectives in the design: to adapt to the user, to maintain acoustic and thermal comfort thanks to the HQE (High Environmental Quality) label, and to keep the concrete rotundas and ramps.
For the INSEEC project, on the3rd floor, it was also necessary to take care of the safety standards to accommodate up to 2500 students: emergency exits, staircases… The architects worked in close collaboration with the fire department for the consulting part.
The building permit was obtained in 2012. The Eiffage Group was then consulted to carry out the work. The construction site began with a major asbestos removal operation in 2013 before the work began.
According to Claire Mathieu, the originality of the future premises lies in the construction around a central alley composed of 3 large atriums (light wells), a place for students to live, with classrooms nested around this alley, in the form of “boxes”. The industrial feel is retained with the view of the car ramp from the cafeteria.
The monumental door has undergone an important renovation: the glass has been changed while keeping the original model of the 30s.
Finally, the students were able to admire the sumptuous view of the Mont-Blanc to the east and the Fourvière hill!
“We are excited about this new 2015 school year! All the students are looking forward to discovering their new school!”
Updated 24 February 2022