| Décathlon superstore |
(Hanover, Germany) |
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The building, destined to house a sportswear superstore of approximately 10 000 m2, is set within the context of the universal exhibition “EXPO 2000”, which took place in Hanover between the months of May and October 2000.
The simple geometry and 10 meter ceiling height suggests a different approach to the architecture of commercial superstores, expressing the new cultural and marketing tendencies of the DÈcathlon company.
The building is entirely of timber construction, material of low environmental impact, respecting the theme of the “EXPO”: “Man, nature and technology”, which encouraged a sustainable solution to the environmental constraints.
The northern facade of the building consists of a 1000m2 reproduction of a J.E. Marey photograph of a man in motion. The other facades, the majority of which are glazed, are protected from the sunlight by a printed leaf motif of varying intensity on the external face of the glass, relating to the tree-like posts and simple sand-blasted trunks. These all follow a different inclination non-the-less respecting the structure’s optimal equilibrium. The scheme recreates a natural landscape, a forest environment, in tune with the image of sports activities for the great outdoors. |
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