B’Twin Village

Redevelopment of the World Cycling Centre, the B’Twin Village, into an innovation hub, showroom, offices, retail spaces, and dining areas.

The existing site is marked by the industrial heritage of the Lille region. The architecture is typical, and the construction design is remarkably refined.

Indeed, the project is located on land that was formerly used as an airfield, airport, and then air station (Lille Airport) in the 1930s, before becoming, in 1956, the SEITA cigarette manufacturing plant.

Fully rehabilitated, the former factory now houses Decathlon’s World Centre, dedicated to cycling and sport. The building accommodates the B’Twin brand designers, as well as a store, a food court, an event space, showrooms, design offices, testing laboratories, industrial prototype workshops, a mechanical assembly plant, and a component warehouse.

With exceptional dimensions (600 meters long by 164 meters wide), the building is above all functional, structured by a concrete post-and-beam system on an 18x12 meter grid.

The proposed project is conceived as a surgical transformation of the site. To create a pleasant living environment, the existing building has been stripped of all unsightly extensions added over time; only the main brick volumes have been preserved. A new frontage has been sculpted into the existing monolithic façade.

The insertion of metal-and-glass façades allows natural light to enter the building and redefines the architectural language of the structure, while preserving its original industrial character. Patios—true light wells framed by a system of internal streets—have been created within the open-plan layout.

Client : DECATHLON

Location : Lille, France

Size : 85 000 m²

Status : Delivered

Date : 2019

Key points

1 rehabilitated industrial hall.
1 reversible, flexible and innovative building.
Soft mobility within the building.
Co-design with the R&D teams of Decathlon group brands.
Internal R&D incubator.

Download the project sheet

Architectural Intentions

The renovation approach aimed to highlight the qualities of the existing building. It was first necessary to remove the ordinary constructions added over time to reveal the original volumes.

A system of sawtooth roofs (sheds) promotes natural lighting, while the structure, with its slender bolted metal profiles, creates impressive volumes and organizes the space. The brick façades are accentuated by elegant white moldings that rhythmically frame the openings.

Soft mobility is encouraged throughout the 85,000 m² of showrooms, design offices, testing laboratories, prototyping workshops, mechanical bicycle assembly plant, and component warehouse that make up the program.

Movement within each part of the building is done on foot, but also by bicycle or scooter.

An artificial hill provides space for mountain biking and a BMX track, allowing competitions to take place.

Landscaped park and esplanade

The B’Twin Village is located within a high-quality landscaped park, generously planted with tall trees, shrub beds, and isolated coppices. Pathways are lined with green spaces, primarily composed of lawns.

Between each cluster of buildings, a planted drainage swale helps eliminate hydrocarbons.

Decathlon’s intention was to enhance this green environment and make it conducive to sports activities. Outside the building, a large esplanade is dedicated to cycling.

The architecture of the site allows visitors to discover the entire process of product design and development, from concept to commercialization. Indoor and outdoor sports areas enable both visitors and designers to test the equipment.

The B’Twin Village aims to become the largest design and innovation center dedicated to sports in Europe.

Innovation Center

Decathlon’s Culture of Innovation

Decathlon is a “liberated” company where management and decision-making are carried out collaboratively. It was essential for us to design workspaces that support and encourage the brand’s culture of innovation. Throughout the design process, we sought alignment between the physical office infrastructure and the cooperative approach that brings employees together around product creation. To achieve this, we envisioned several types of spaces.

The office floors, which embrace flex office principles in a start-up and coworking spirit.

The Booster Innovation, conceived as a wellness space where natural light and greenery take precedence. Workstations are organized into islands that allow movement and project-based setups.

The Advanced Design, a workshop and design thinking space. It’s a unique inspirational area, arranged like a loft to break away from the usual framework and work in “studios,” free from time constraints.

We also designed a FabLab, a series of workshops where everyone can shape all kinds of materials, from textiles to carbon fiber. These are available to Makers (every employee is a potential Maker at Decathlon).

The SportsLab, dedicated to pure research on athlete physiology, as well as behavioral studies of customers, providing cross-disciplinary expertise.

Finally, product industrialization is carried out within a dedicated Business Unit (Tech Off), in constant collaboration with the designers.

é comme un espace de bien- être, où priment la lumière naturelle et le vegétal . Les postes de travail s’organisent en îlots sur lesquels on peut bouger et s’installer en mode projet.

L’Advanced design, un espace de workshop, de design thinking. C’est un lieu d’inspiration différent, organisé comme un loft pour s’évader du cadre habituel et travailler en « loge », sans cadre horaire.

Nous avons également dessiné un Faflab, une série d’ateliers où chacun a la possibilité de façonner tous les matériaux, du textile à la fibre de carbone. Ils sont à disposition des Makers (chaque collaborateur est un maker potentiel chez Decathlon).

Le Sportslab, dédié à la recherche pure sur la physiologie du sportif, mais aussi à l’étude comportementale du client, qui apporte son expertise transversale.

Enfin l’industrialisation du produit est menée dans une Business unit dédiée (tech off) en constante liaison avec les designers.

Interior Architecture

A Flexible Organization

The layout allows for both individual and group work, accommodating up to 100 people per floor. Configurations adapt to different activities and are supported by innovative furniture: benches for 4 to 6 people, high tables, shared zones, and small meeting and communication spaces for phone calls or discussions between two or three people.

Spaces Designed to Stimulate Creativity

Creative rooms with distinct atmospheres and enclosed spaces are available for project groups upon reservation. Educational tools and a digital environment foster collaboration.

This work was carried out without artifice, in close coordination with the architects, to create atmospheres that are fun, but also pure or tech-oriented, depending on the expectations and objectives (to recharge, escape, isolate, build models, hold conferences, eat, etc.).

Meeting, working, and exchanging ideas in an environment conducive to innovation is essential. Each space was designed by our interior architects in direct collaboration with the client.

Team

Patriarche (Architecture, Interior Architecture, MEP Engineering, Environmental Quality, Cost Management, BIM, Urban Planning, Landscape, Signage, Graphic Design)
Autumn | Patriarche (General Contractor)
Myah | Patriarche (General Contractor for Interior Fit-Out)