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Quai 9
From a distance, the outer shell of Quai 9 resembles an alien spaceship which has landed in the town of Lanester in north-western France. But on closer inspection, the facade is clearly composed of a series of triangular shapes which evoke the white sails of the boats that have been the lifeblood of this area for centuries. The name Quai 9 reflects both the maritime heritage of the region, and the fact that Lanester was established as an independent town in 1909.
Architect Cécile Moga (MOG Architects) Location Lanester, Lorient (France) Company involved Elval Colour Website www.elval-colour.com
Designed by Cecille Moga of MOG Architects, Quai 9 is a cultural and social focal point for the 22,000 residents of Lanester. It helps to give them a local identity as Lanester is now a suburb of Lorient – a major seaport in the Brittany region.
As well as a 1,500-seat concert venue, Quai 9 also houses three exhibition halls. In total, there is just over 3,000 square metres of covered space.
The predominant sail motif defines the 3D form of the facade and gives approaching visitors an idea of the spirit and function of the space and invites them in to take a cultural journey.
The building is clad in 2,000 etalbond® composite panels from Elval Colour. Each panel measures 0.5 x 0.5 metres and is rivetted to either a metal framework on the roof, or the vertical concrete walls.
The panels are perforated in four different patterns to add to the decorative finish of the facades. The perforations allow light to penetrate the building during the day, while at night they reflect the activity going on inside.
The facade elements are arranged in a way that blurs the division between the building’s horizontal roof and its vertical walls. This means that more than half of the panels are arranged horizontally and therefore exposed to higher levels of rain and UV radiation.
One of the key considerations in the choice of etalbond® composite panels was the marine environment of Lanester. Elval Colour developed a customised, four-layer polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF4) coating which would outlast the required 20-year warranty period. The coils used to produce the panels were cast and rolled by Elval and coated in Elval Colour’s own coating lines.
The first layer of paint was a marine-quality white primer, followed by an additional barrier coat. That was topped with a white PVDF base coat and a clear PVDF top coat to maximise corrosion and UV resistance. All panels were also coated with a white primer on the underside as this forms the ceiling of the interior spaces. Once on-site, the edges of the panels were treated with special bond protection agents to provide additional corrosion resistance.
During the facade assembly, engineers from Elval Colour remained in close contact with the builder to quickly resolve any questions. A technical audit was also carried out to ensure that the facade elements were fabricated and installed according to Elval’s specifications. The result is a facade that will retain its aesthetic and structural integrity for decades to come.
After a two-year construction phase, Quai 9 will opens its doors to the first visitors at the end of September 2017.
