The Magmaa ‘Food hall’ built in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique) by DLW Architectes for Groupe Chessé – SNC Ile Sauvage, project owner, is one of the two winning projects of the Eiffel Trophies 2023 in the “Heritage” category.
The rehabilitation of the former Alstom halls into a “food hall” on the Île de Nantes, in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique), is based around respect for the industrial heritage of the place and its culinary future.
Rooms 1 and 2 bis were the scene of the industrial revolution, then more recently, that of the digital and creative revolution. The last building to be reconstructed in the Creado neighborhood, the centuries-old metal structure was completely dismantled and restored, making it possible to limit the environmental impact by saving 60 tons of steel in resources.
The volume retains its full extent. Legible and vertical, the frame is decorated with raw materials – aluminum, glass and concrete – in different layers. It is designed as a large bioclimatic horticultural greenhouse where natural light is maximum, with self-regulation of ventilation and temperature.
The neutral envelope reveals what’s going on inside, showing the city. On the ground floor, corners and a bar are distributed around a large room where large communal tables sit side by side. Particular attention was paid to reuse favoring the circular economy, especially for interior coverings.
Upstairs, the atmosphere is more intimate: small tables and sofas are scattered on a mezzanine opening onto the greenery of the Mabon Island square.
This connection between interior and exterior is illustrated both by the central bar crossing the facade, opening onto the terrace and the great hall, and by the light installation resembling an aurora borealis that winds from outside to inside. Thus, at nightfall, the Magma dining room becomes a lantern, revealing even more the fineness of its structure and the lightness of its profiles.
The Magmaa ‘Food hall’ created in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique) by DLW Architectes is one of the two winning projects of the Eiffel Trophies 2023 in the “Heritage” category.
Also read: MAGMAA – The Alstom hall transformed into a ‘Food Hall’ by DLW and VI
ConstruirAcier, the association that promoted steel architecture since 2008
A museum, a stadium, a shopping center, a train station, an airport, a residence, a bridge, an office building, a house, a warehouse, a footbridge, a school… Everything, absolutely everything, can be built in steel. And it is undoubtedly no coincidence that this material, the most used in the industrialized countries since the 19th century, successfully completed the stages of the ecological transition at the dawn of the 21st century… Architects and designers are not wrong and relies on the steel material to combine technical performance, efficiency and a sense of aesthetics.
Construction steel thus offers the Eiffel Trophies, which contribute to raising awareness of various and significant architectural works, made wholly or partly with steel. They are awarded by an independent jury to works built in France, designed by architects without restriction of nationality.
These awards are part of a perspective of promoting metal architecture and its designers, architects and engineers. They also aim to highlight the know-how of metal construction and metalworking companies and all the qualities of the steel material.
In 2023, the Eiffel Trophies rewarded ten projects in the categories of Learning, Culture, Entertainment, Dynamic, Transition, Living, Heritage 1 & 2, Landscape, Work.
ConstruirAcier is also the Revue Matières, the reference magazine for steel architecture.