A forest in the heart of Europe's leading business district may seem a surprising idea at first glance. But a forest that lends itself to business meetings in the heart of Europe's a plant-based, high-tech atmosphere - all under the graceful vault of the CNIT, the whole thing takes a more logical turn.
A conference venue until 2015, the CNIT will resume this function in 2022, once the work undertaken by Viparis to bring the "CNIT Forest" a warm, dreamlike venue dedicated to corporate events. The operator of Paris Expo Porte de Versailles and the Palais des Congrès has vast plans for this emblematic monument in the heart of Paris. La Défense district. " In this dense and connected area, linked to the ecosystem of major companies, we needed a place to gather for professional meetings".explained Pablo Nakhle CerrutiCEO of Viparis, at the presentation of the project.
To imagine the future of this architectural work André Malraux said at its inauguration in 1958 that ". nothing like this has been done since the great Gothic cathedrals".Viparis needed partners who would fit in with its DNA. With this in mind, Viparis called on architect Nicolas Adam and the designer François Schuitenauthor of the comic strip series The Obscure Cities and described by Pablo Nakhle Cerrutti as " the best illustrator of urbanity, with the utopian dimension conveyed by urban planning and found at the CNIT. "
" My job as a set designer is to land dreams and make them come true.says François Schuiten. But creativity needs a framework. The trick is to transform the constraints inherent in the place into a world that is functional and, at the same time, inspiring, that has a sense of place. its inner music. To create this atmosphere, I drew everything by hand, in the traditional way, to rediscover this sensuality, this emotion. "
Plant walls, a choice of wood species in line with Viparis' CSR policy, as well as work on the lighting using technologies that give the impression that the wind is moving the leaves, just like in a real forest: this is what Viparis is all about. nature that is both real and recreated that awaits visitors and organisers alike. The LED-lit trees, for example, will allow events to be personalised at will.
After all, we mustn't forget the venue's primary function, which is to host events. In this context, CNIT Forest will be offering 24 meeting rooms which can accommodate from 31 to 163 people, two amphitheatres with 740 and 1,175 seats and two multi-purpose areas of 2,186 m² and 2,859 m², all complemented by state-of-the-art technology. " This multifaceted venue can host congresses or corporate events including conferences.says Mounira Pichori, Head of Development at Viparis. Organisers will be able to take advantage of the modular nature of the site. "With its two amphitheatres and separate entrances to avoid overlapping flows, the CNIT Forest will be able to accommodate two events at the same time.
In addition to its excellent accessibility, which will be further enhanced in 2022 by the arrival of the RER E and the monumental station currently under construction in the CNIT basement, the venue is in line with new trends in business meetings, namely unity of place, time and action. " At La Défense, everything can be done on foot, get back to your hotel, have a coffee, stroll through the green spaces in the district, discover its often little-known artistic dimensionexplains Mounira Pichori. We can take full advantage of this life we are so frustrated with today. "
