VINCI to sponsor creation of temporary visitor centre at château of Versailles

2 April 2008 - Projects update and handover - France

Xavier HUILLARD, Director & Chief Executive Officer of VINCI and Jean-Jacques AILLAGON, President of the Etablissement Public du Musée et du Domaine National de Versailles, signed a sponsorship agreement on Tuesday 1st April concerning the creation of a temporary visitor reception centre at the Château of Versailles.
Following the success of the first comprehensive restoration of the Hall of Mirrors, VINCI is once again embarking on a close partnership with the Château of Versailles, based on a skills-based sponsorship arrangement.

The sponsorship agreement signed by VINCI and the body responsible for the château provides for the construction by Group companies of a temporary reception building in the main courtyard of the Château of Versailles, pending the creation of permanent reception facilities somewhere around 2011.

In the meantime, this new building will improve the way 5 million visitors a year are welcomed, offering easy and well-organised access to the various tour routes available within the château. Resolutely forward-looking, the building’s contemporary look is the work of two young French architects, Yves Pagès and Benoît le Thierry d’Ennequin, of the Explorations Architecture agency. A combination of glass and wood, in the form of an ellipse, the architecture of the building is designed to perfectly blend in with the 17th century courtyard of the château.

This new sponsorship agreement is characterised by its contractually innovative nature, with VINCI, as provider of the skills-based sponsorship, once again acting as contracting authority as well as directing the construction works, valued at 1.8 million euros. The works will thus be undertaken by CBC Service and Satob, subsidiaries of VINCI Construction, and SDEL, a VINCI Energies subsidiary, which have committed themselves to making their skills available to this project – and to taking up the challenge of having the building ready for handover in just 3 months’ time.

For VINCI, the pioneer of skills-based sponsorship in France, this new agreement is a natural extension of its successful partnership with Versailles in respect of the first total restoration of the Hall of Mirrors. It reflects the Group’s desire to place the talents and expertise of its companies and its workforce at the disposal of innovative projects involving cooperation between the public and private sectors.

 

About VINCI
VINCI is a global player in concessions, energy and construction, employing 280,000 people in more than 120 countries. We design, finance, build and operate infrastructure and facilities that help improve daily life and mobility for all. Because we believe in all-round performance, we are committed to operating in an environmentally, socially responsible and ethical manner. And because our projects are in the public interest, we consider that reaching out to all our stakeholders and engaging in dialogue with them is essential in the conduct of our business activities. Based on that approach, VINCI’s ambition is to create long-term value for its customers, shareholders, employees, partners and society in general.