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International Space University
International Space University
Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
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Other Projects by Antonelli + Herry Architectes
International Space University
Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2024
SIZE
25,000 sqft - 100,000 sqft
BUDGET
$5M - 10M
The International Space University is a non-profit founded in 1987, dedicated to training future professionals in the space and aerospace sectors. It blends engineering, science, politics, law, and entrepreneurship through international, interdisciplinary, and intercultural teaching. The building occupied by the ISU was constructed in 2002 by architects Schouvey and Orth, set at the heart of the Illkirch innovation campus. The current project is a renovation and restructuring aimed at adapting the building to meet the university's new ambitions. It focuses specifically on two areas: the library, housed in a full wing of the building, and the common spaces located at the heart of the working and administrative wings.
The transformation of the library makes the most of the existing nave's generous volume. An additional mezzanine level has been added, occupied by study rooms, meeting rooms, and training spaces. It connects to the library's main level via a new staircase that verticalizes the nave, lending it an airier architecture. Conceived as both a workspace and a communal gathering hall, the nave now incorporates soundproofed rooms, concentration pods, and work "cockpits," which help make the main space less silent and more conducive to exchange. The furniture is arranged along a gradient of intensity: the quietest pieces sit near the archives and storage areas, while furniture suited to conversation lines the façade along the outdoor terrace. The chromatic palette and overall atmosphere draw subtly on an astral vocabulary. At the center of the nave, linear light fixtures hang within a cloud of acoustic "satellites," which float and animate the space with their rhythmic movement. Timber and yellow tones contrast with the deep blue of the high clerestory windows, drawing attention to the collection of aerospace objects on display.
To date, ISU counts several thousand alumni and students from more than a hundred countries. It proudly champions its ability to bring together students from across the globe and from varied cultures, with the aim of training "citizens of space" capable of coexisting and collaborating beyond borders, disciplines, and institutions. Exchange and sharing are therefore at the heart of the architectural project. As with the library, the renovation of the common spaces takes the approach of qualifying and activating residual spaces—landings and unused circulation areas—so they maximize the overall use of the building and even help reinforce it.
At the heart of each wing and on every level, new timber frameworks now support sub-spaces bathed in light from the existing clerestory windows. These host breaks, meetings, exchanges, and all forms of informal work and study. These bonus sub-spaces alternate between glazed partitions and perforated timber screens, striking a pleasant balance between transparency, fluidity, intimacy, and withdrawal. They overturn the wings' pre-existing functional organization, with offices and classrooms now gravitating around these new hubs of exchange, conviviality, or concentration.
All the works and additions linked to the project follow a sustainable, bio-based logic. Beyond the timber frameworks and structures employed, the joinery and furniture have been designed and selected for their durability, recyclability, and ergonomics. Everything works together to establish a new atmosphere—serene, calm, and conducive to study—infused with a spatial vocabulary that emanates from the place itself and from the richness of its users. Architecture becomes a tool for informal pedagogy and socialization, extending ISU's educational mission and progressive ambitions.
The transformation of the library makes the most of the existing nave's generous volume. An additional mezzanine level has been added, occupied by study rooms, meeting rooms, and training spaces. It connects to the library's main level via a new staircase that verticalizes the nave, lending it an airier architecture. Conceived as both a workspace and a communal gathering hall, the nave now incorporates soundproofed rooms, concentration pods, and work "cockpits," which help make the main space less silent and more conducive to exchange. The furniture is arranged along a gradient of intensity: the quietest pieces sit near the archives and storage areas, while furniture suited to conversation lines the façade along the outdoor terrace. The chromatic palette and overall atmosphere draw subtly on an astral vocabulary. At the center of the nave, linear light fixtures hang within a cloud of acoustic "satellites," which float and animate the space with their rhythmic movement. Timber and yellow tones contrast with the deep blue of the high clerestory windows, drawing attention to the collection of aerospace objects on display.
To date, ISU counts several thousand alumni and students from more than a hundred countries. It proudly champions its ability to bring together students from across the globe and from varied cultures, with the aim of training "citizens of space" capable of coexisting and collaborating beyond borders, disciplines, and institutions. Exchange and sharing are therefore at the heart of the architectural project. As with the library, the renovation of the common spaces takes the approach of qualifying and activating residual spaces—landings and unused circulation areas—so they maximize the overall use of the building and even help reinforce it.
At the heart of each wing and on every level, new timber frameworks now support sub-spaces bathed in light from the existing clerestory windows. These host breaks, meetings, exchanges, and all forms of informal work and study. These bonus sub-spaces alternate between glazed partitions and perforated timber screens, striking a pleasant balance between transparency, fluidity, intimacy, and withdrawal. They overturn the wings' pre-existing functional organization, with offices and classrooms now gravitating around these new hubs of exchange, conviviality, or concentration.
All the works and additions linked to the project follow a sustainable, bio-based logic. Beyond the timber frameworks and structures employed, the joinery and furniture have been designed and selected for their durability, recyclability, and ergonomics. Everything works together to establish a new atmosphere—serene, calm, and conducive to study—infused with a spatial vocabulary that emanates from the place itself and from the richness of its users. Architecture becomes a tool for informal pedagogy and socialization, extending ISU's educational mission and progressive ambitions.
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