The National Optics Institute has become a leader in optics and photonics research and development. Its rapid growth called for a major renovation of its original building and a 5000 m2 expansion housing specialized research installations. The project also had to update the buildings façade to better reflect its modern and high tech identity. A new main entrance opens on an atrium which articulates the new and old building and offers a new stimulating and dynamic environment.
The vast meeting hall is the central research hub and organizes on one side the specialized research rooms and on the other side multipurpose spaces of emerging research. Each special field gets its own laboratories adapted to their specific standards. Their work environment also contains numerous clean rooms where environmental characteristics can be adjusted to different needs (from 100 000 to 1000 particles/m3) and where vibrations are minimized. Workshops, specialized storage spaces and technologically advanced conference and meeting rooms completes the program.