Cales De Radoub

location Toulouse, France
date 2019
client public
program urban rehabilitation
surface 10 000 m2
status competition
design team Studio Akkerhuis

The call for innovative urban projects « Dessine-moi Toulouse « offers the unique opportunity to showcase the architectural, natural and cultural heritage of Holds of Radoub.

The site, now landlocked, is reopened to the city and shared between public spaces and an area dedicated to the activities of the establishment of the Voies Navigables de France (VNF).

The new built front reinforces the Allée des Demoiselles, a radial axis in downtown Toulouse. The interior of the site and its landscaping offer an expansion that punctuates the course of the Canal du Midi, a strong marker of the territory.

The new built front, a strong gesture of our proposal, embodies the transformation of the site. It reinforces the setting by inhabiting it, while respecting the surrounding context.

The main body of the building is built nine meters above the ground, offering unprecedented transparency on the site. Capped with a large pergola that evokes the volumetry of the pre-existing halls on the site, the archetype emerges in the sky, giving rise to an analogy between the preserved heritage and contemporary architecture.

The architecture offers a great diversity and flexibility of the accommodation, most of which are traverses and some are double height. The thickness of the street side facade integrates the distribution system, while the garden side facade offers a variety of outdoor spaces. The accommodations also benefit from shared spaces on the roof of the building.

The activity of VNF is reorganized and optimized. Its managers benefit from new boilermaking, workshops and offices.

A new hold is located in place of a historic hold that was backfilled. It offers the possibility for

a new parking space and / or refit.

The preserved holds are brought up to standard, and the floor treatments of the entire surrounding logistics area are improved. Access for heavy goods vehicles is maintained, moved to the west of the site. Thus, the needs are grouped around the same place, which makes it possible to streamline the activity and movement of vehicles.

The new premises overlooking the Allée des Demoiselles are treated with transparency in order to provide real visibility to the institution and its activity. These premises will allow them to develop their activity. The project therefore enhances the activity of VNF and anticipates its developments.

Along with the hall is a public space outside. Instead of the old hold, there is a reflecting pool which animates a generous piazza, at the heart of the site. A coffee place equally allows to occupy this place over various temporalities . A new footbridge allows the crossing of the water room and therefore ensures a direct connection to the Garden Monplaisir, as well as a recreational boat rental marina.

The Radoub slipways become an element that completes the issue of the articulation between the Canal du Midi, the Jardin Monplaisir and the districts of Demoiselles and Busca.

The old indoor station has been converted into a “creative hall” using a flexible and innovative device.

A hard core includes common necessities, while the rest of the space can either be totally free, or subdivided into ten craft workshops or even be shared between workshops and performance space.