The LUMA Foundation Project is a future cultural park, located in the ‘Parc des Ateliers’ in Arles (South of France), formerly used by the railway industry.
The project consists of one major new building as well as the refurbishment of existing buildings.

The project focus is the new museum/exhibition building; a 10 storey tower, supported on a 2 to 3 storey plinth.
-Three sub-towers are joined at each level by a central slab with an eccentrically placed core. Each sub-tower is clad by a striking façade of large metal ‘building-blocks’ (1m x 0.5m) creating an irregular geometry behind which a frame of inclined tubular steel columns is positioned to carry loads to the foundations whilst respecting the form of the façade.

The MEP concept is focused on a central plant room which features highly-efficient heat-pumps with part of the electricity production coming from a rapeseed oil CHP unit which provides both heating and cooling production via a heat exchanger and an absorption chiller.
Room climate control is achieved via reversible radiant floors and double floor ventilation with optimised heat recovery between extracted and outside air. BMS operated natural ventilation is also part of the design and source of electricity saving.

The project was delivered using multi-disciplinary 3D modelling.