Interné at Créature Architectes - Poitiers, France

Required for security purposes, les escaliers de secours for the Bank of France at Poiters address both security measures as well as aesthetic ones. The external spiral staircases service four levels to an existing historical structure in the center of town. Building and safety codes required the structure to be enclosed as a result of its height, so a modular panel system was designed to create an interesting continuous pattern along the façade.

Designed with the aid of Grasshopper, an algorithmic modeling software, various designs were explored to maximize economy, structure, and aesthetics. To keep construction cost low, the same panel design is reused throughout the façade. Depending on its orientation, the panel provides a different pattern which interlocks into the entire design of the façade.  The cor-ten panels also require very little maintenance and provide an industrial contrast to the existing classical structure.