Version Rubis is an appartment building (81 housing units) located in the north-west part of the Port-Marianna area in Montpellier. The entire area has been designed in order to slow down the development of the city northward so as to benefit the southside, closer to the shore. Since the creation of the new city hall by Jean Nouvel, Port-Marianne is destined to become Montpellier’s new city center. The creation of a canal starting in the Lez river connects the area to the sea.
Inspiration for this project came from the work of Montpellier-based city planner Raymond Dugrand. Dugrand claims public spaces should shape the development of the city, leaving the buildings to adapt to that shape.
Inspired by the « folies de jardin » dating back to the 18th century, Rubis interacts with the 8 ha Georges-Charpak park. Its core is clad in fiberglass that doubles as a thermal insulation.
The lacquered and perforated aluminum pannels and shutters present four shades of red. The perception of the facade and its volume is constantly changing as the shutters slide open. The loggias serve as gateways between private and public, inside and outside. On the rooftop rises a white mediterranean villa of which the planted terrace seems to converse with the nearby park.
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