Hôtel de Région Languedoc Roussillon

Marking the end of Antigone’s axis, this administrative building was built as the seat of the Languedoc-Roussillon Government and the Regional Parliament. As a building emblematic of the region and the culmination of a major civic axis, it needed to have an easily recognizable monumental form. It was therefore conceived as a glass-clad triumphal arch with a central opening. The building stands fifty meters high, dominating the horizon and reflects upon a man-made pool designed within the river bed.

The two pillars of the arch house the vertical circulation and various offices. The bridge element accommodates the great hall, laid out on three levels, with a large central window in which the Parliament sits. The two columns of the west façade are in fact glazed galleries which provide views out over Antigone and the new axis of the river Lez towards Port Marianne.

The building, inspired by the archetype of the triumphal arch, is intended to function as an urban gate to the city and regions of Montpellier.  It was built of pre-cast concrete and glass, materials that represent the bonding of classical and modern architectural aesthetics.

Simple and clearly functional, the archetype of the urban gate becomes a modern typology, while remaining fundamentally part of the history of forms.

The program includes a council chamber, reception rooms, meeting rooms, office space, and apartments for the members of the Regional Government, a cafeteria and a car park.