Acoustic study of Lille’s new administrative center (Cité Marianne)

Table of contents

• An ambitious real estate project in the heart of Lille Sud
• Acoustics integrated right from the design stage
• Demanding, tailor-made technical specifications
• Rigorous, collaborative site supervision
• Final measurements and validation of acoustic performance
• Conclusion: acoustics for comfort and exemplarity

 

An ambitious real estate project in the heart of Lille Sud

The Nouvelle Cité administrative de Lille, known as the Cité Marianne, is a public real estate project of national scope. Scheduled for completion in December 2023, it will house around 2,000 employees and some twenty government departments in five buildings totalling over 38,000 m², located in Lille Sud, Porte des Postes.
This program is part of an ambitious urban redevelopment and ecological transition approach, with demanding environmental certifications: Passivhaus, Effinature and OsmoZ. Acoustics play a central role, both in terms of user comfort and in obtaining these certifications.

Acoustics integrated right from the design stage

The acoustic study was integrated from the earliest architectural and environmental design phases, in synergy with the project’s bioclimatic approach. The aim was twofold: to ensure optimum acoustic comfort for staff and the public, and to meet noise certification criteria.
Each space was subjected to a specific acoustic analysis, taking into account its type of use: individual and shared offices, open spaces, meeting rooms, crèche, catering, sports halls and corridors. Acoustic modelling was used to define targeted solutions for each zone.

Demanding, tailor-made technical specifications

Acoustic engineering firm SIM Engineering defined a series of appropriate technical solutions, covering the building’s main noise challenges:
– Acoustic insulation between sensitive rooms, to preserve confidentiality and concentration;
– Impact noise treatment, particularly in corridors and shared areas;
– Reducing reverberation in large volumes, such as the interior street;
– Controlling noise from technical equipment (HVAC, elevators, technical ducts).
These requirements have led to the use of high-performance materials, such as reinforced partitions, sound-absorbing ceilings, insulating linings, and specific treatment of special points such as network penetrations.

Rigorous, collaborative site supervision

Throughout the project, our acoustic design office worked closely with the project management team, architects Valode & Pistre, Coldefy and Bouygues Bâtiment Nord Est.
Regular checks were carried out to ensure that the recommended solutions were being implemented correctly, to adapt the systems if necessary and to guarantee that the acoustic objectives set were being met. This rigorous approach made it possible to anticipate any non-conformities and ensure the final quality of the sound environments.

Final measurements and validation of acoustic performance

During the acceptance phase, a series of acoustic measurements was carried out to verify the building’s actual performance, according to several criteria:
– Isolation between sensitive rooms;
– Reverberation time in communal areas;
– Ambient noise level from technical equipment.
The results obtained validated the sound comfort objectives and contributed to the environmental certifications obtained, positioning the Cité Marianne as a national benchmark in terms of quality of use and health in the workplace.

Conclusion: acoustics for comfort and exemplarity

The acoustics study for the Nouvelle Cité administrative in Lille illustrates the strategic contribution of an acoustics consultancy to large-scale projects. By integrating acoustics into the environmental and architectural approach right from the design phase, the project achieved a high level of overall performance, benefiting the well-being of users and the sustainability of the building.

 

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