Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay | KAAN Architecten

ISMO is a project dedicated to science, education and communication activities as part of the new campus masterplan of the Université de Paris Sud. It’s built as a transparent factory for research.
Approaching it from the North you will sense its dignified presence as a laboratory with a high transparency, the research rooms are housed in a glass show-box in direct dialogue with the campus landscape. Entering in the foyer, the atrium connects vertically all floors, enabling to see the front desk, coffee shop, halls, library, and the auditorium’s shape.
The offices are set around two courtyards providing natural ventilation when windows are opened. This climate zone with a low-tech solution allows having comfortable offices in the southern part of the building instead of having a heavily air-conditioned environment.
The new building intends to be a functional working space that provides a stimulating environment able to combine concentration on research with informal encounters and communication.