Town Hall near Rennes by LAN Architecture

Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande is a district with eleven thousand inhabitants on the southern outskirts of Rennes. According to a project by the Paris-based studio LAN, a compact three-story town hall has been created that meets the current needs of this public institution. The tiered forecourt can also serve as an amphitheater, where wooden stairs are used as seating, and the audience area continues into a generously designed two-story lobby lined with wood. Due to the placement of the town hall on a terrain slope, passersby can glimpse into the main hall through the upper skylight. The translucent façade made of perforated metal panels hints at the activities inside the entire building. Compared to historical examples, the new town hall does not draw much attention to itself. It lacks towers, clocks, or other characteristic features. It does not strive to engrave itself into the memory of local residents with an elevated appearance, but rather as a place where something is always happening, even when the officials’ counters have long been closed.