International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)

Project: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
Architect: ArtBuild Architects

Momentary association

ArtBuild / Unanime

Programme

Construction of an institutional building dedicated to research.

Laboratory Program
3 blocks of standardized, flexible, and scalable laboratories (L1) / Specialized L2 and L3 virus laboratories / Specialized L2 and L3 bacteria laboratories / Block of specialized L2 laboratories for cell culture and carcinogenic treatments.

Biobank Program
76 liquid nitrogen tanks / 1 automatic freezer / 270 freezers / Facilities for handling biological samples / Laboratories associated with the biobank.

Certification
RT2012 Effinergie +; Bbiomax -20%; Cepmax -40% / Compatibility with E + C labels (Low Carbon Building 2017).

Performance
Heating demand < 25kWh / m².year.

About: Cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Research to find cures has been intensive for several decades. The role of the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer), an international institution under the World Health Organization, based in Lyon since 1965, is to lead and coordinate research on the causes of cancer.
The new headquarters of the IARC, inaugurated in 2022, is not only a tool for research and knowledge transmission, but also a symbol of the international ambition of the Greater Lyon area, through the Biopôle de Gerland, a biomedical technological innovation campus of global excellence.
The building houses offices, laboratories, and a conference center. Researchers from around the world come here to share their findings with their peers, while a biobank catalogs tumor and tumor cell samples. As a true data bank, it hosts more than 10 million well-characterized samples from 1 million individuals worldwide.
The building is characterized by its sleek exterior, shaped as a parallelepiped detached from the ground, punctuated by large urban windows opening to the world. Inside, the circular courtyard evokes the cell, the smallest common denominator of humanity, while the garden that animates it offers users a place for interaction and contemplation.
The building’s purpose called for an exemplary structure. ArtBuild applied not only its expertise in sustainable development over the past 20 years but also the results of its research in biomimetic architecture over the last decade. Innovation is largely inspired by what nature has created best, using natural resources available in the immediate environment.
Thus, the façades are equipped with two technological innovations, devices that protect against overheating, activated solely by sunlight, without human intervention and without energy consumption.
On one hand, shape-memory metal sunshades, which are experimentally installed on the façades of the circular courtyard. Like flower petals, they open and close under the sole influence of the sun's heat. On the other hand, on the outer façades, photochromic glazing darkens to reveal a plant-based graphic design. The wooden framework used for the construction of the courtyard façades also helps reduce the building's carbon footprint.
ArtBuild also applies its deeply humanistic vision of the workplace, creating conditions for individual and collective fulfillment, following the criteria of the Well© certification and a biophilic design for the spaces.