On June 2012 alumni, journalists, faculty, staff and students participated in an inauguration ceremony celebrating the opening of a new academic building on the campus in Jouy-en-Josas. The ceremony was chaired by Pierre-Antoine Gailly – President of the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Henri Proglio – President of the HEC Paris Board, Chairman and CEO of EDF and Bernard Ramanantsoa- Dean of HEC Paris, in the presence of Jean d’Arthuys – President of the HEC Alumni Association and Daniel Bernard – Chairman of the HEC Foundation.
The innovative design of the new HEC Paris building was crafted by David Chipperfield Architects. The buildings give a strong visual identity to HEC, creating a new entrance for the campus that is in harmony with the existing structures. A golden gleam of anodised aluminium ‘fins’ adds a rhythm to the façade, which stretches 126 metres long. This new, elegant building extends the educational and administrative space by 9,500m². Several lecture theatres and class rooms will be inaugurated in the name of generous donors from the HEC Foundation, many of whom will be present at the ceremony today.
‘Worldwide competition between business schools has come to a new level’, comments Pierre-Antoine Gailly – President of the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry. ‘Work spaces equipped with state-of-the-art technology today constitute a must-have that both the students and the professors consider when selecting a school. The Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry is proud to support HEC Paris’ expansion plans for the future.’
The shape of the building, with its shifted blocks, aims to create a more intimate environment for people to experience on arrival on the campus. The multi-faceted blocks naturally integrate with the surrounding buildings, and provide a series of sheltered semi-courtyards along the length of the site. By staggering the structural volumes in this way, David Chipperfield Architects has created a distinctive, human-scale feel to the space, while providing ample facilities for students and academics. Informal study areas and teaching spaces revolve around a large common hall, which serves as a ‘social collector’ and links the building with other facilities. Additionally, the impressive auditorium and other common spaces have high-specification technical treatments, to ensure excellent quality presentation facilities.
The new building is a stimulating open learning environment that encourages interpersonal interaction. Advanced information technology and telecommunications solutions facilitate the exchange of ideas among participants in different locations around the world. It provides a shimmering new façade for HEC facing the existing main campus entrance and the future expansion.
About HEC Paris
Leader in Europe, specialized in education and research in management, HEC Paris offers a complete and unique range of educational programs for the leaders of tomorrow: Masters Programs, MBA (full-time and part-time), PhD, HEC Executive MBA and TRIUM Global Executive MBA. Founded in 1881 by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, HEC Paris has a permanent faculty of 110 professors, more than 4, 000 students (37% of whom are non French) and more than 8, 500 managers and executives in training every year. HEC Paris has been ranked #1 Business School in Europe by the Financial Times since 2006.
About David Chipperfield Architects
David Chipperfield Architects was founded in 1985 and has offices in London, Berlin, Milan and Shanghai. The practice works internationally on cultural, residential and commercial projects providing full architectural and interior design, master planning, product and furniture design services for both public and private sectors. Our diverse built portfolio includes museums and galleries,
libraries, apartments, private houses, hotels, offices, master plans, and retail facilities. David Chipperfield Architects has won more than fifty national and international competitions and many international awards and citations for design excellence, including RIBA, RFAC and AIA awards, as well as the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2007, and the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award in 2011.
ROBERTO ALBORGHETTI 