The headquarters of Métropole Rouen Normandie, designed by Jacques Ferrier Architecture, form a striking image on the banks of Seine in Rouen, France.The building’s dynamic profile contrasts with the omnipresence of horizontal designs found along the major port, while its silhouette echoes the renovated industrial buildings on the right bank. As an extension of the future park, the building forms the figurehead of the future eco-district. It is a contemporary metropolitan icon and seamlessly blends in with the unique visual landscape of the quays and the history of the port.Its transparent architecture plays with the changing light of the Normandy sky, reflections from the water, and the colors of the climate. The building is covered in fish-like scales made with subtly-colored glass. Reflecting and refracting sunlight, the glass scales cover the building with hints of color that are further enhanced by the reflections from the river below. The effect is inspired by a contemporary interpretation of chromatic variations in Claude Monet’s many paintings of Rouen Cathedral. The glass is covered with a layer of metal oxide, creating an iridescent reflection from the outside, but disappearing on the inside, leaving the light in work areas unaffected. The double-layered façade provides the building with passive thermal protection, and the glass scales on the roof make way for solar panels that provide a considerable contribution to the building’s energy self-sufficiency. The building’s appearance transforms throughout the day.The work spaces are arranged according to their use under the impressionistic outer layer. Designed with the aims of efficiency and comfort, the building is both innovative and exemplary in nature, with an emphasis on work spaces and community areas alike, noted World Architecture News. Read more