Page 78 - ELEMENTS EUROPA (EN)

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CATERING AND KITCHENS
LARGE-SCALE INSTALLATIONS
Catering installations present a cutting-edge capacity of
approximately 1,200 meals a day, the major part of which
concerns the large restaurant and the main kitchen on the first
basement floor. Some 600 meals are served in two services on
a daily basis there. On the ground floor, the cafeteria serves 400
meals a day, also in two services. Both installations are for staff the lantern’s concentric layout meets the Residence Palace’s
and visitors.
On the 9th and 11th floors, the centre of the lantern is filled
with dining halls reserved for people attending summits. In
fact, these are formal conference halls actually surrounded
by interpretation booths in which participants may obtain a
meal. On the 10th floor, space develops into a crown circling a
closed central volume. This multipurpose space accommodates
informal contacts during which meals are served at small tables.
In total, some 200 meals can be served in these three halls
every day, thanks to the small-sized but fully equipped kitchens
on each one of those floors.
As for conference halls on the 3rd, 5th and 7th floors, coffee
machines are available on the 7th floor. Delegations also have a
bar at their disposal on the 3rd floor, close to the Council hall.
LIGHT AND INTERACTION
The large corporate restaurant space is set in the basement;
indeed, the location is not so much a “noble” one but its
irregular use justifies that decision. How can it gain in user-
friendliness and pleasure despite its location?
The questions can be answered in one word: light. The project
has this space as opened up as possible, letting light in through
four openings: a glass facade on to the large lower courtyard
along the eastern facade of the atrium, two large openings
towards the upper floor round the central column circle, letting
light pour in from the atrium, and an elliptical oculus in the
centre of that space, on the lantern’s axis.
The light oaken floor coating, light coloured walls and
acoustic multi-coloured ceiling also help to make the visual
atmosphere lighter.
You cannot see outside from the dining halls on the 9th and
11th floors due to the surrounding interpretation booths but
the 11th-floor hall, the most prestigious one, located at the top
of the lantern, is bathed in natural light coming through a large
glass oculus.
The multipurpose space on the 10th floor spreads over to the
lantern’s facade, providing it with abundant natural light and a
panoramic view over the atrium.
FIRST BASEMENT-FLOOR “FREE FLOW”
The “free-flow” is located in the section of the plan where
rectangular geometry. Two tight rows of cylindrical solid
columns stand in the middle of that space, arranged in a circle.
The actual functioning of the “free flow” implies placing
independent counters between the columns where visitors can
walk freely. A clear distinction is also necessary between the
areas accessible to visitors and service areas.
Hence, how can that space, so intensively occupied, be
sufficiently readable as part of a curved and centrifugal
geometry?
Far from vainly seeking a geometrically “pure” layout,
the development plan follow-up focuses on organising that
space by enhancing the very alignment of the counters.
The latter, made straight as a cost-saving measure, are
placed as a tangent to the column curved alignments, some
variable distance from the necessary space before each one of
them. The uninterrupted polygonal chain the tray slide defines
connects them to one another. The ground and ceiling finishes,
varying according to whether they are in the public or service
areas, meet in the exact place where those are. This layout
highlights an encompassing “virtual surface” in that space,
distinguishing – without dividing them – the warm atmosphere
of the public area (wooden floor, multi-coloured ceiling, white
columns, reflective stainless steel counter panels) and the cold
atmosphere of the service area (grey resin flooring, polished
stainless steel ceiling, white earthenware walls). What gives
this development its architectural meaning is the fact that the
exchange providing this space with its raison-d’être occurs
precisely through this virtual surface.