SEB GROUP WORLD HEADQUARTERS Lyon-Ecully (France) - 2021

Contexte & enjeux

SEB, the world leader in small household appliances, has established its new world headquarters in Ecully, the town where the group has been established since 1976.
The campus was built in three successive phases on the basis of a master plan that set the principles of architectural and landscape quality.

The first action was to prepare the initial site, an ungrateful 6-hectare material dump on the edge of the A6 motorway. The creation of a merlon densely planted with trees made it possible to isolate the site from the noise of the A6. A vast central pond of 2,000 m² was dug to collect surface and roof rainwater, in order to create a wild-looking pond. Several waterfalls are integrated into the ensemble and cover the residual noise of the traffic.

The buildings are all arranged around the large central water garden with pleasant pedestrian walkways, sometimes with footbridges over the water.
The abundant vegetation has allowed a variety of fauna to settle in naturally. This new landscape, which has been entirely created, is now the primary quality of the site.
The campus now has
1,200 employees in a complex that includes work spaces, a showroom, a model workshop, an innovation laboratory, a company restaurant, a 300-seat conference room, a sports hall, a concierge service and meeting places. The unity of the different buildings is ensured by a constant mix of materials: red terracotta, grey metal and glass.

The spirit of the campus perfectly meets its objective: to offer a high quality workplace in a peaceful setting. The resulting stimulating synergy is an undeniable vector of dynamism for the group.

Architectural mission and interior design of the head office.

Pyramid landscape award

Photographs : Gilles Aymard