The Entrance to Greater Lyon’s Administrative Head Offices

Some fifty years after its inauguration, the ‘Hôtel de Communauté du Grand Lyon’ (Greater Lyon’s administrative head offices) needed updating and remodelling for two key reasons:

— Visitor checks were needed on entry for security reasons,

— The building’s entrance had to be clearer and more visible.

An architectural intervention on such a strong and coherent construction could not endeavour to imitate the original building or adopt its style; on the contrary, it needed to stand out and highlight the difference in eras.

The entrance to the Hôtel de Communauté was only modified at ground level on the facade. With no visible joinery and printed with Greater Lyon’s new logo, the new clear glass facade opens onto a double-doored vestibule with glass partition walls. This leads the visitor into the building more clearly.

The new ground floor plan creates a larger entrance area bound by two rows of concrete columns. On the right, the space is bordered by a reception counter and by a waiting area to the left. Opposite the entrance, the space is secured by a series of turnstiles, which form a light barrier while ensuring the entrance hall remains visually open. The same grey granite has been used for the floor and reception counter.

The changes made to the building when creating this new reception area and updating the materials reflect a desire to give the Hôtel de Communauté a revamped image that corresponds to the Greater Lyon of today.