VINCI inaugurates temporary visitor centre at Château of Versailles

30 June 2008 - Projects update and handover - France

On Monday 30 June 2008, VINCI and the Etablissement Public du Musée et du Domaine National de Versailles inaugurated the temporary visitor reception centre at the Château of Versailles. This structure was created within the framework of a new skills-based sponsorship operation undertaken by the Group for the benefit of Versailles.

Inaugurated on the eve of the peak summer season, the visitor centre will remain in place for three years. It has been designed to meet one of the major challenges facing the Château of Versailles, namely to improve the way it welcomes some 5 million visitors a year, and to offer easy and well-organised access to the various visitor itineraries available at the site.

Having to complete the construction work in less than three months, in full compliance with the very specific constraints of a historic site, posed a considerable technical challenge: VINCI Construction subsidiaries CBC Service and Satob, together with VINCI Energies subsidiary SDEL ITT, contributed all the expertise of their respective teams to this project, valued at almost 2 million euros, for which VINCI acted as contracting authority.

The choice of a modern-looking building, designed by two young French architects, Yves Pagès and Benoît le Thierry d’Ennequin, with the support of technical consultants Terrell, also testifies to the architectural ambition of the project. A combination of glass and wood, its curved form blends very naturally into the main courtyard of the château. In coming months, visitors will benefit from better facilities, with speedier ticket checks, a sheltered waiting area and a check-in cloakroom.

For VINCI, the pioneer of a new type of skills-based sponsorship in France, this project is an extension of the successful partnership with Versailles in 2007, during the first comprehensive restoration of the Hall of Mirrors. It underlines the Group's desire to place the talents and know-how of its companies and its workforce at the disposal of innovative projects in the common interest. This ambitious project, undertaken in cooperation with the Versailles authorities, is very much a reflection of VINCI's involvement in the community, working to improve access to culture and to enhance the national heritage.

The visitor centre in figures:
Budget: almost 2 million euros
Time to completion: 3 months
Business units involved: CBC Service, SDEL ITT, Satob (VINCI subsidiaries)
Surface area: 330 sq. metres
Brise-soleil (sun-protection): 700 wooden slats.

 

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.