VINCI builds the visitor centre at the Château of Versailles in three months

11 August 2010 - Projects update and handover - France

“The contractual scheme we devised for the Hall of Mirrors was a prototype, but the construction of this pavilion shows that it can readily be replicated,” said Xavier Huillard, CEO of Vinci, at the signing of the sponsorship agreement between VINCI and the Établissement Public de Versailles on 1 April 2008. The challenge has now been met, with the pavilion opening to the public on 1 July. Vinci, which was given an AOT temporary occupation permit, acted as contracting authority for the works, which were primarily carried out by Group companies. The financial commitment was nearly €2 million. The pavilion, located in the main courtyard of the Château, was built to serve for a three-year period, during which the visitor reception areas will undergo final renovation. The temporary pavilion has all the requisite technical facilities for a public building and is also an original, and ambitious, work. It was designed by architects Yves Pagès and Benoît Le Thierry d’Ennequin of the Explorations Architecture firm, who explain that they “opted for an abstract, sculptural, harmonious, respectful and modest structure.” The pavilion’s wide entrance is extended by an interior space that becomes progressively narrower to channel the substantial numbers of people (nearly 5 million per year) who visit the site. Since the structure is temporary, lightweight materials had to be used, but the quality requirement called for them to be harmonised. The pavilion is therefore built of steel, glass and wood. The concrete foundations were cast over a plastic film to protect the cobblestones of the courtyard, which were not to be removed, except in a few isolated cases. CBC Service (VINCI Construction) was in charge of the envelope and joinery works packages and worked with Eiffel to set up the metal structure and the glass panels in three weeks. Teams from Satob, another VINCI Construction subsidiary, then installed a cladding of wood slats to shield visitors from direct sunlight. Sdel ITT (VINCI Energies) was, for its part, in charge of the electrical and ventilation-heating works packages. Overall, about 50 people took part in the project, with everyone working toward the shared goal of handing over a high-quality structure in record time. At a press conference held on 30 June, the day before the structure was opened to the public, Jean-Jacques Aillagon, President of the Établissement Pubic de Versailles, said: “The generosity and commitment of the VINCI Group are exemplary and very gratifying. The Group mobilised its expertise to meet the challenge of building a contemporary structure in record time.”