Pavilion of Sciences

Text description provided by architects. Moro Kusunoki completes the new Urban Campus for the Sciences Po Pavilion as part of the school's “Cœur 2022” project, redefining the typology of a contemporary urban campus in the fine built fabric of central Paris.

As part of a conversion project developed in partnership with Wilmotte & Associés and heritage architect Pierre Bortolussi, Moro Kusunoki focused on the contemporary extensions, namely the main wing and courtyard in relation to the underground library.

The urban campus, a place of transparency. Challenging the trend of mass exodus of urban campuses away from city centers to urban suburban locations, the Sciences Po intervention “Cœur 2022” consciously implements itself in the historic Hôtel de l'Artillerie in the heart of the Rive Gauche in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. Paris. Surrounded by many time-honoured governmental, cultural and educational institutions, Sciences Po physically and symbolically occupies the intersection of the political and academic hearts of Paris.

Through this central strategic expansion, Sciences Po is redefining the typology of the urban campus in the 21st century as a place of connection, integration and transparency. Housed within a former monastery, tucked away from the dense historical fabric of the city surrounding it, the Hôtel de l'Artillerie is an exceptional site in terms of its size and heritage value.

The tiered space provides a mix of landscaped and outdoor spaces for daily use by students and staff, and can also be used as an outdoor ballroom for special celebrations and events, with the pavilion directly facing it as its own private stage.

Timeless aesthetic. Through its manipulation of different shades of gray – the gray of concrete, steel, and the Parisian sky as reflected in the glass – the project creates a universal and timeless aesthetic, devoid of superficial expressionist acrobatics. It brings out the honest and raw beauty of the panels, columns and volumes, all in harmony with the generous and sparsely decorated architecture of the heritage buildings.