Author: Columbia GSAPP
Odile Decq is a French architect, urban planner and academic. She is known for her unique, self-described goth appearance and style. Together with her partner Benoît Cornette she started her architecture firm ODBC in 1979. The buildings they completed for the Banque Populaire de l’Ouest in Rennes with Peter Rice in 1990, brought them numerous awards and international recognition. It was the first steel-construction office building in France.
BPO Building Rennes
source: https://www.odiledecq.com/projets/banque-populaire-de-louest/
The office building of the BPO headquarters in Rennes was designed with a steel frame structure and modular industrial components. The main façade, which faces south, was the first facade built using double glazed suspended glass and sunshades installed at distance from the glass surface. Beyond the characteristic facade design, several specific industrial products were also developed for this building.
source: https://www.odiledecq.com/projets/banque-populaire-de-louest/
This building, representative of the high-tech trend in the 1990’s, has been threatened with destruction since the summer of 2014. Convinced that this building marks a milestone in architecture, Odile Decq took action: “I am absolutely not in favour of systematically saving buildings. But this one has elements that demonstrate its uniqueness. For example, its suspended double-glazed facade or its steel structure, whereas at the time, in France, only concrete was used”. Hence the “Save the BPO’s building” petition, which has been signed by 1,100 people, including five Pritzker Prize winners (Norman Foster, Frank Gehry, Thom Mayne, Jean Nouvel and Toyo Ito).
source: https://www.odiledecq.com/projets/banque-populaire-de-louest/
About the Author:
Bruno Dursin – Managing Director at Believe in Steel. Bruno has more than 30 years of experience in promoting steel & steel solutions. His clients benefit from his extensive network within the building industry.
