L'Îlot-du-Centre

The ‘L’Îlot-du-Centre’ housing complex is situated halfway between Place Saint François and Lausanne railway station. The site straddles areas designated for contiguous and discontinuous development under the Lausanne General Land Use Plan (PGA).

The development comprises four residential buildings – one block and three detached units – containing 139 rental apartments ranging from 2.5 to 5.5 rooms. The main building, running parallel to Rue Beau Séjour, follows the built-up frontage of the contiguous zone and houses the largest number of apartments. Further down, situated along an access esplanade running alongside private gardens, the three blocks reflect the scattered layout of the neighbourhood. The complex is connected at basement level by a slab housing the technical rooms and a 160-space car park.


This layout deviates from the provisions of the Local Development Plan (PGA), which, for this site, recommended the creation of a continuous block. RDR’s proposal, with the client’s agreement, forgoes the full realisation of the building potential authorised by the PGA in favour of a higher urban quality for the development as a whole.

The urban project derives its coherence and relevance from the system of access routes and public and semi-public outdoor spaces that connect the development to the surrounding area. To the west, the building steps back to create a public square that links the horizontal route along Rue Beau Séjour with the path that follows the slope towards the station and the lake. At the heart of the development, an access esplanade connects the buildings and forms an intermediate space for meeting and relaxation.
This layout gives the complex a strong sense of coherence within its immediate urban context, whilst optimising views and natural light for the apartments situated further up the slope.

The sloping nature of the site guided the work on volume and section, resulting in a wide variety of apartment types.
The first two levels of the block, at ground level, house south-facing duplexes with private gardens. The vast majority of the flats are organised according to a simple layout: an internal loop circulation system runs around a central core, distributing the living rooms to the south and the bedrooms to the north. Special penthouse flats are available. The layout of the dual-aspect flats is punctuated by a module comprising the vertical circulation on the north side – a spiral staircase and a lift – and bedrooms or studios on the south side.

The glazed vertical elements of the stairwells, positioned on the façade in the style of many Lausanne buildings, give rhythm to the long façade on Rue Beau Séjour.
The façades are constructed from light-coloured concrete treated with various finishes, and feature large bay windows for the living rooms, and full-height windows with sliding shutters in anodised aluminium for the bedrooms.
The buildings hold the Minergie label.