JDS architects: euralille youth centre

'euralille youth centre' by JDS architects, lille, france
image © JDS architects
all images courtesy JDS architects


brussels-based JDS architects have received first place and the commission for the 'euralille youth centre' in lille, the firm's
premier project to be realized in france. the triangular plot accommodates three separate programmatic areas for a youth hostel,
kindergarten and offices, each placed in one of the site's corners. this distribution ensures maximum privacy while maintaining
close proximity between the spaces. the building's trifold form lifts upward at the street corners to generate open plazas which
activate pedestrian interactions along the bustling avenues.



view of lifted facade and plaza from the street


the amount of daylight filtering into internal spaces dictated the elevational treatments and window configurations. the interior
facing elevations of the different wings overlook a central garden. the rooftop of the kindergarten is a vegetated
outdoor playing surface while the neighboring youth hostel features a series of walkout balconies from the rooms. the facade
of the offices ensures adequate natural lighting without harsh direct light.



activated pedestrian plaza at the street corner



trifold form arranged around a central garden



view of garden from upper terraces



communal space of youth hostel overlooking the courtyard garden



conceptual digram



trifold form diagram


outward views diagram



interior views between wings diagram



courtyard garden diagram



green terraces diagram



activated pedestrian plazas diagram



 daylight diagram for the offices



daylight diagram for the youth hostel



program distribution diagram



interior program diagram


project info:


project: youth hostel, kindergarten, office
size: 6.980 m2
location: lille, france
type: invited competition
status: 1st prize 2011
budget: 12.150.000 eur
client: saem euralille
team: JDS, egis, agence franck boutté, consultants, sl2ec
project leader: renaud pereira
JDS partner in charge: julien de smedt
project team: henning stuben, sandra fleischmann, heechan park, david dominguez iriondo, leonora daly,
priscilla girelli, marion julien, edna lueddecke, francisco villeda, wouter dons, felix luong