For the new cube-formed building of the regional archives of Marne in Reims, RMIG has supplied 3,000 m2 of aluminium panels that decorate the facades, ceilings and walls.
The regional archives in Reims in the North of France, house a major part of the history and heritage of the county of Marne. The archives have existed since 1796 and contain a unique collection of historical documents, some of which date back as far as the 10th century. These documents cover areas such as culture, politics, economy and social life, thus providing an important source of information for today’s generation. Today, the archives in Reims are a popular cultural venue with reading rooms, auditoriums and exhibition areas where guests have free access to the documents of the past.
A new home for historical documents
The new building was designed by Parisian architects Hamonic + Masson. Their task was to create new surroundings for the more than 100,000 archive boxes that needed to be relocated. Their goal was to construct something that was both elegant and yet solid and stable, befitting the purpose of the building which is reflected in the building’s design and the perforated facade from RMIG.
RMIG has extensive experience in providing unique cladding solutions for buildings around the world, making it possible for them to deliver exactly what is needed. The architects chose perforated and embossed panels in 2.0 mm powder coated aluminium from the RMIG City Emotion programme for both the interior and exterior of the building, forming a strong, functional and stylish design statement. The interior is elegantly decorated with stylish panels in white. The exterior is very distinctive in appearance as the architects chose the cube as the mode of expression. The cube-shaped building measures an impressive 31 x 31 x 15 metres and the colour and appearance of the outer panels changes depending on the light and weather, going from dark to sparkling, from opaque to transparent, from dull to glossy, from brown to golden, making them as diverse and multi-facetted as the historic archives themselves. The coated exterior cladding has a powerful visual impact, creating an optical illusion that helps the large cube-shaped building blend sympathetically into its surroundings.
The Archive de Reims project was handled under RMIG’s dedicated architectural and construction sector support programme, City Emotion, which assists architects and contractors to realise their urban design concepts and convert them into real solutions for buildings. Further information on City Emotion, the RMIG Group, its product groups, markets served and the manufacturing solutions it provides can be obtained by visiting www.city-emotion.com.