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Thales Research and Development Centre

Palaiseau, France

The multinational Thales Group is a global electronics concern serving the aerospace, defence and information technology sectors. The Group recently built a Research and Development Centre at Palaiseau, of which the design was entrusted to Frédéric Tomat and Alain Dupont, two young members of the SERAU studio of associated architects and engineers.

The Centre would have an overall surface area of 32,000 m2 and include a building to house offices and optical laboratories, also a "reception” block with conference facilities, a building with laboratories, research centres, white rooms and equipment rooms, and a technical platform.

The reception hall is a glass cube placed at the crossing of two large wings (the office and optical lab block, and the laboratory and white rooms building) and becomes a general meeting place. A recreation room. Somewhere to exchange ideas.

The façades in particular are worthy of note: the shimmering surfaces of the parapets, screenpinted glass and blinds reflect the lights of the optical research building, its southernmost wing faced along the two upper floors (the lower level presents a plinth of smooth concrete), with a timber cladding that provides an effective barrier against the sun and is punctuated at intervals by square see-through voids.