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Bjarke Ingels Group and A+ Architects have unveiled designs for the 12,000 square meter Marengo intermodal hub in Toulouse, France. The project will expand the functionality of the city’s central station, Gare Matabiau, and strengthen the area’s public transport network by creating a bus, rail and metro hub, all connected under one roof. The design of the new hub was inspired by the city’s distinctive roofscapes and the traditional use of rose-coloured ‘foraine’ bricks, using mass timber structures and low-carbon concrete to ensure a sustainable intervention that fits its context. Construction of the hub is expected to begin in 2026.
With the number of daily passengers traveling to and from the city expected to triple in the coming period, the Marengo intermodal hub is sized to meet the city’s needs and facilitate a seamless travel experience. The hub is shaped to connect to the central train station to the west and to coincide with the city’s pedestrian and cycle flows, connecting the area with the historic city center and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Canal Sud and Canal du Midi. Periol neighborhood.
The structure of the hub, built primarily from mass timber, rises gradually from the main entrance in the south to a maximum of 32 meters towards the railway tracks. This shape encourages visual connections across floors, allows natural light to enter the lowest levels of the building, and helps travelers easily navigate the space. The space’s compartments are constructed from rammed earth and textiles, while the underground floors are constructed from low-carbon concrete. The rose color of the concrete references the ‘foraine’ brick, a traditional material used throughout the region.
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The structure’s roof features a photovoltaic system that matches the rose-colored roof and is punctured by skylights. Public spaces, including gathering areas as well as spaces for cultural and commercial activities, total 4,400 square meters and are distributed over two levels, ground and underground, providing space for 1,000 open-air bicycle parking spaces. The remaining upper floors are used for 6,600 square meters of office space for 350 employees in the Occitany region.
In addition, local greenery is planted throughout the building to echo the vegetation of the Haute-Garonne region of France. The building aims to achieve Silver Occitanie sustainable building certification, as well as Biodiversity Effinature and HQE infrastructure certifications.
The new transportation hub’s folded roof rises from Marengo Church and defines a main lobby with lush greenery and abundant daylight, welcoming visitors and guiding them to the subway and train tracks below. The elegant silhouette of the building curves northward along rue de Périole. The ground and lower floors will provide seating and retail areas and Maison du Climat event space, while the upper floors will house regional offices. Pursuing low-carbon solutions in the design, we used mass timber, low-carbon concrete and natural ventilation throughout the design, as well as installing a photovoltaic system on the roof. This simple yet versatile design transforms the roof into a new landmark in Toulouse. – Jakob Sand, Managing Partner, BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group
Continuing the theme of intervening in complex urban environments, BIG recently unveiled an updated design for Prague’s Vltava Philharmonic Hall, a commission won following an international competition. The office also announced a new project on Manhattan’s East Riverfront, a massive development planned to include a park-based Museum of Liberty and Democracy in addition to cantilevered towers topped by rooftop gardens.
Project credits:
- Collaborators: A+ Architecture, A+R Paysages, ALTO, CL Design, dUCKS scéno, Systematica, Franck Boutté, LASA, The Lighthouses, SBP Echo, MBAcity, FER-PLAY
- Responsible partner: Bjarke Ingels, Jacob Sander
- Project leader: Claudia Bertolotti
- Big team: Charlie LaLand, Delvan Ahmed, Gustavo Alejandro Lopez Rodriguez, Lee Hyo-jin, Marco Sartoretto, Martina Cloda , Mathieu Michel Cardinal, Olivia Jagra, Yannis amas srisela
- Big landscape: Julia Frittoli, Sasha Spacek
- Great sustainability: John Alexander Hackel, Will Chuan Rui
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