The "Pôle universitaire des Quais" brings together the research and higher education centre, the Collégium de Lyon, the University of Technology Institute and the International House of Languages and Cultures

The "Pôle universitaire des Quais" is located in the university district on the eastern bank of the river Rhône, in the 7th arrondissement of Lyon and comprises five institutions. The Institute of Technology (IUT) with around 900 students, the Department for Research and Higher Education (PRES), a canteen with a capacity of approximately 1,900 meals, a dormitory with 200 beds, and the International House of Languages and Cultures. The structure of the building and massing within the block provides for a clear separation between the different areas of the IUT and PRES, as well as for the student accommodation and canteen. Arranged in a ring around an introverted inner courtyard, the individual building blocks facing the city form a homogeneous unit despite being functionally separated. The courtyard, with its tiered patio areas, functions as an open "Forum" promoting communication between the individual institutions. The outer compactness of the new university building is supported by closely knit concrete façade pilasters. This appears as a subtly structured volume to integrate the project into its surroundings with respect to color and materiality. The characteristics of this building are defined by the homogeneity of the light concrete, the use of a limited amount of different materials, and neglecting the building elements such as windowsills and venetian blinds. The uniform block structure at the main entrance is deliberately broken, as the autonomous block of the PRES significantly protrudes in plan and height. A gem-like exterior layer of adjustable vertical glass panels are used in the building ring-seemingly without touching it- thus contributing to its function and location opposite the existing University Construction Office. The ground floor and the first floor are reserved for the entrance hall, the dinning hall and the classrooms. In the superior floors offices, conference rooms and student apartments are located. The centerpiece here is the lowered auditorium, which forms a spacious terrace on its roof on the first floor and connects to the inner courtyard via seating steps. The rich greenery of the patio creates an oasis within the compact urban structure that makes the "Pôle universitaire des Quais" a significant part of the urban university life.