France

About

The town of La Bouëxière has recently inaugurated the Marie-José Pérec Sports and Cultural Center, an iconic architectural project designed to bring together sport, culture, and local community life.

A structuring project serving a changing territory

Facing the ageing of its existing facilities, the town of La Bouëxière (Ille-et-Vilaine) set out to build a multi-purpose facility dedicated to sports, culture, and education. It was designed to host a wide range of activities, from sports competitions to performances, seminars, and other local events that strengthen social connections.

Led by the local authority, this public project is located within a particularly rich environment, in direct continuity with the André Blandin stadium, the Pierre de Coubertin sports complex, and the André Blot cultural center. The planned arrival of a future public secondary school and the site’s strong accessibility further reinforced the ambition to make this venue a true hub for residents. More than just a building, the project represents an opportunity to redevelop the entire area and drive a new territorial dynamic.

An open, iconic and attractive architecture

Designed by Nantes-based Onze04 Architectes, the project goes beyond the traditional sports hall model. It is built on a strong reflection around flows, uses, and landscape integration. The building’s layout follows an urban connectivity strategy, with the creation of a new structuring pedestrian axis linking residential areas, existing and future facilities, and surrounding natural spaces.

The sports center itself is a sober and compact structure, in constant dialogue with its environment. Its main volume is distinguished by a continuous textile envelope covering both the roof and facades, supported by a timber framework. This approach creates a lightweight, cohesive, and contemporary architecture. Its uniquely shaped roof, appearing to rise toward the sky, strongly defines the building’s identity and establishes it as a key, unifying landmark.

Tenseo Advanced 1002 S2 and Tenseo Advanced 902 S2 as the project’s aesthetic and technical signature

A key element of the project, the textile membrane plays a central role in the building’s identity. Used for both the roof and facades, it creates a continuous, lightweight, and homogeneous envelope, perfectly in harmony with the wooded landscape. The architects selected Tenseo Advanced 1002 S2 for the roof and Tenseo Advanced 902 S2 for the facades, covering 2,900 m² and 3,150 m² respectively. Both in white, these membranes were installed by Normandie Structure.

These materials offer numerous advantages: structural lightness, excellent natural light diffusion, high resistance to weather conditions, thermal performance, and long-term durability thanks to Précontraint technology. At night, the membrane transforms the facility into a backlit urban lantern, becoming a strong landmark for the town. Beyond its technical function, the textile membrane fully contributes to the project’s success by combining performance, usability, and visual impact.

Project contributors:

Architects: Onze04 Architectes
Textile engineering consultancy: Asteo
Copyright: © Juan Cardona