Thomson LGT Factory

A breach that is essentially unifying, the nave is the project’s central space. It exercises the magic of the street, providing an infinite web of connections between, design, manufacture and marketing. It is the main route that everyone takes to reach their place of work, and also provides the link between the research laboratories, the research consultancy offices, the sales department on one side and the production unit on the other.

In response to the multipurpose nature of the business zones, the nave remains devoted to its primary purpose: communication. Fine-tuned with Peter Rice, the structure supporting the stretched canvas vault resolves the total strain at a single crucial point – gothic diagonal ribs, keystones, etc. These are all powerfully allusive elements for a space for meeting and gathering together. To the right of the secondary circulations, the translucent vault is interrupted to allow penetration by direct light which varies according to the time of day and the season, thus providing a measure of time in a space with isotropic lighting.

The Thomson factory is as much a solution to the industrial issue – providing spaces conducive to work and to the communication necessary for the production process – as a corporate showcase featuring façades with a rigorous layout in glass and aluminium, a rhythmic effect provided by alternating blue and yellow verticals and the technological feat of the roof.