BIG wins congress center competition in france with roofline echoing waves of the seine

big’s Winning Design Brings Flowing Timber Landmark to france

Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) is selected to design Rouen’s new congress center, nicknamed The Sail, a landmark project that is set to rise along the banks of the Seine in northern France. The 11,500-square-meter complex introduces a striking roofline that crests and dips like waves above the river. The building is designed to serve as a civic gathering point and an international events venue and seeks to reconnect the city to its waterfront.

Commissioned by Métropole Rouen Normandie, the project includes two auditoriums, exhibition halls, meeting rooms, a restaurant, and support spaces. Designed in collaboration with BLP & associés, The Sail aims to achieve Passivhaus certification, setting a new benchmark for energy-efficient public architecture in France. The timber structure and facades of the building reinterpret Rouen’s vernacular of half-timbered houses.

all images by Atchain & BIG

rainwater collecting roof tops ‘the sail’

From the river, The Sail appears as a light, horizontal volume rising gently above the landscape, while from the city, its photovoltaic roof hovers over a new public forecourt that extends the urban fabric to the water’s edge. In this area, the international architecture firm combines open stone-paved plazas with clusters of trees and planting, forming shaded gathering areas and green buffers around the site. Rainwater collected from the roof irrigates these planted zones, and a network of pedestrian paths connects the center seamlessly to its surroundings.

‘Rising along the Seine, The Sail introduces a new silhouette to Rouen with its sweeping roofline paying tribute to the city’s naval heritage and historic skyline of spires,’ says Jakob Sand, partner at BIG. ‘The building greets visitors from the highway with a vertical facade, while on the city side, the roof creates sheltered canopies extending the foyer into a human-scaled public landscape. Built with mass timber construction, daylight-optimized interiors and an energy-producing roof, it is both a low-impact infrastructure and a cultural hub — offering an inclusive space for Rouen and its visitors.’

Inside, a spacious, light-filled foyer functions as the central social space, linking all program areas. A grand staircase leads to the main auditorium, and the overlapping levels connect the public and professional zones inside The Sail.

a striking roofline that crests and dips like waves above the river

Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) is selected to design Rouen’s new congress center

open stone-paved plazas with clusters of trees and planting form shaded gathering areas

the timber structure and facades of the building reinterpret Rouen’s vernacular of half-timbered houses

a spacious, light-filled foyer functions as the central social space

a grand staircase leads to the main auditorium

the building is designed to serve as a civic gathering point and an international events venue

rainwater collected from the roof irrigates the planted zones

project info:

name: The Sail

architect: Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) | @big_builds

location: Rouen, France

area: 11,500 square meters

client: Métropole Rouen Normandie

collaborators: BLP & associés | @blpassocies, Egis, Ducks Scéno | @ducks_sceno, Elioth | @elioth.byegis, Bloom Landscape | @bloomholding, Marshall Day Acoustics, 8’18 lumière | @818lumiere, BMF, Nicolas

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