Le Monolithe / MVRDV

Architects: MVRDV
Area: 32,500 m²
Year: 2010
Photography: Courtesy of MVRDV
Lead Architects: Winy Maas, Frans de Witte
Landscape Designer: West 8
Structure: Jean-Pierre Mouillot / ALTO
Facades: Robert-Jan van Santen Ass.
Client: ING Real Estate with Artemis
Program / Use / Building Function: Offices, Retail, Residential, Master Plan
City: Lyon
Country: France

Le Monolithe, an energy-efficient mixed-use urban block designed by MVRDV in Lyon, combines social housing, rental properties, a residence for disabled people, offices, and retail spaces. Completed in 2010, the project covers 32,500 m² and is part of the Confluence development area. The block, realized by ING Real Estate Development and Atemi, comprises five sections, each designed by different architects including Pierre Gautier, Manuelle Gautrand, ECDM, and Erik van Egeraat. Landscape architects West 8 designed the public plaza.

In 2004, ING Real Estate Developers selected MVRDV’s masterplan from a group of international architects. Each architect designed a section based on this plan, resulting in a diverse and architecturally varied block. The development features a large interior courtyard with a raised public space offering views of the city, marina, and park, reminiscent of the French classical ‘Grand Gallérie’. MVRDV designed the head section at the waterfront, ensuring each part is unique in material, composition, and architectural expression.

MVRDV’s south-facing building includes aluminum shutters to protect interiors from the sun, referencing traditional local architecture. The apartments within Le Monolithe are varied to attract different inhabitants, reflecting Lyon’s diverse population. Offices are divided into units of at least 500 m², accessed by three vertical circulation cores for individual access. All spaces are naturally lit and ventilated, allowing for flexible tenant fit-outs.

In June 2005, following the rejection of the European Constitution by France and The Netherlands, MVRDV redesigned the façade to include the first article of the European Constitution as a reminder of EU values. The message reads: “The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity, and equality between women and men prevail.” The project aims to promote a unified European spirit.

Adjacent sections were designed by French and Dutch architects Pierre Gautier, Manuelle Gautrand, ECDM, and Erik van Egeraat. Dutch landscape architects West 8 designed the public space.