Federation of Canoe-Kayak and Paddle sports | Le Studio Sanna Baldé

Studio Sanna Baldé completed the head office of the French Federation of Canoe-Kayak and Paddle sports (FFCK), located on Europe’s largest freshwater stadium, in Vaires-sur-Marne. This project aims to strengthen the international influence of the FFCK, whilst also emphasising its commitment to its members, notably at the occasion of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Imagined as “open and welcoming”, it proved to be a meeting place during the Olympic Games, for the public, the athletes and members and collaborators of the Federation. Its legacy will become one of a sports facility open to the city of Vaires-sur-Marne.

Notable among the founding principles of this new Head office of FFCK are its durable wood and concrete construction, a rooftop garden, and a planted patio. Wood was chosen for the structure and for the façade owing to its positive environmental impact. The attention paid to the bio-based building and its approach to efficient geothermal energy consumption are the beating heart of the brief. By dialoguing with neighbouring buildings, through its wooden façade and green roof, the new head office is harmoniously integrated into the existing landscape, thereby creating a feeling of unity.

The sequence from the entrance begins by passing under the raised building, crossing the patio, and leads to a transparent ground floor, creating a fluid connection between the interior and the garden. The planted rooftop terrace offers panoramic views over the lake. Several possible pathways can be taken through the building depending on uses: offices or public reception. The accent is also placed on exterior spaces, that can be adapted to weather conditions, by combining sheltered zones and open spaces, to host diverse events.

More than a simple federation, this Head office of FFCK at once embodies the solemnity of an institution, its engagement with regard to sustainable development and its role in the promotion of French canoeing and kayaking on the national and international scale, whilst also offering a favourable and peaceful context for daily activities.

Team: Le Studio Sanna Baldé (lead architect), Paula Paysages, Atelier Masse,

Team studio: Marie-Hélène Habib, Arthur Kaïdi, Thomas Goblet

Photography: Clément Guillaume (http://new.clementguillaume.com/)