BIG and A+ architecture envision toulouse's 12,000 sqm marengo multimodal transport hub

Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub by BIG and A+ Architecture

BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group and A+ Architecture unveil the design for the 12,000 sqm Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub in France’s fourth largest city, Toulouse. Located adjacent to the central station Gare Matabiau on the eastern border, the building will expand the city center beyond the Canal du Midi and strengthen its public transport networks by uniting bus, railway, and metro under one roof. As part of Toulouse’s Grand Matabiau Quais d’Oc masterplan, the project will revitalize the urban area, facilitate travel, and triple the number of daily passengers travelling to and from Toulouse. Constructed mainly in wood, the hub connects to the central train station in the west and dovetails the pedestrian and bicycle flows towards the east, acting as a link between the city center, the UNESCO-listed Canal du Midi and the Périole neighborhood. The building is set to attain Silver Occitanie Sustainable Buildings certification, as well as the Biodiversity Effinature and HQE Infrastructure certification.

all renderings © BIG – Bjarkel Ingels Group

rose-toned, crystalline roof recalling foraine brick in toulouse

Referencing the city’s roofscape and traditional use of the ‘foraine’ brick, the Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub features a rose-colored, crystalline roof. From the main entrance canopy in the south, the hub’s structure gradually rises in a sloping movement towards the north, reaching 32 meters in height towards the railway tracks. The BIG team and A+ Architecture (see more here) envision plants and trees spread in the building and bike station to echo the vegetation of the Haute-Garonne region. Passing the bus station and entering through the main entrance, travelers are led below ground to Gare Matabiau, railway, metro lines, and the transport hub’s hang-out areas. 4,400 sqm spread across the ground floor and two sub-levels will feature flexible and informal public spaces open to all, including areas for rest and commercial and cultural activities. Here, Maison du Climat, an initiative to further the public’s knowledge on environmental topics, will manage an event space for exhibitions, conferences, and workshops.

Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub with its rose-colored roofscape

‘The building’s elegant silhouette, growing northward in height, curves along rue de Périole. Ground and lower floors will offer areas for rest and retail and the Maison du Climat event space, while upper floors accommodate regional offices. Pursuing low carbon solutions in the design, we employed mass timber, low carbon concrete, and natural ventilation throughout, with photovoltaics on the roof. This simple yet multifunctional design transforms the roof into Toulouse’s new landmark,’ describes Jakob Sand, Partner in Charge at BIG. 

the building is maintly constructed in wood

enabling visual and physical linkage from all levels and sides

As the structure grows in height, each level gradually recedes, creating a triangular shape. This enables visual connections across floors and pulls daylight down to the building’s lowest levels, accommodating comfortable and easy navigation for travelers throughout the day. The hub’s two sub-level floors will connect to the 1000-unit open-air bike parking. Floors one to six will function as a 6,600 sqm office space for the 350 employees of the Occitanie Region. Rammed earth and textiles will be used for partitions, and the ground- as well as underground floors will be constructed with low carbon, rose-colored concrete. The roof will include photovoltaics matching the rose color punctured by skylights, allowing in natural light. Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub is BIG’s second project in the South of France, following the cultural center MÉCA, Maison de l’Économie Créative et de la Culture Aquitaine, which completed in Bordeaux in 2019. Construction of the transport hub is set to begin in 2026 with the completion of the underground connection to Gare Matabiau and metro station set for 2028.

as the structure grows in height, each level gradually recedes, creating a triangular shape

low carbon, rose-colored concrete for the floors

construction of Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub is set to begin in 2026

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project info:

name: Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub

location: Toulouse, France

architects: BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group | @bjarkeingels, A+ Architecture | @aplusarchitecture

collaborators: A+R Paysages, ALTO, CL Design, dUCKS scéno, Systematica, Franck Boutté,
LASA, Les Eclaireures, l’Echo SBP, FER-PLAY

client: Région Occitanie, Toulouse Métropole, Europolia – ARAC Occitanie

renderings: BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group

size: 12,000 sqm

— BIG team — 

partner in charge: Bjarke Ingels, Jakob Sand
project lead: Claudia Bertolotti
team: Charlie Laran, Dervan Ahmed, Gustavo Alejandro Lopez Rodriguez, Hyojin Lee, Marco Sartoretto,
Martyna Kloda, Mathieu Michel Cardinal, Oliwia Jagla, Yanis Amasri Sierra
BIG landscape: Giulia Frittoli, Sasha Spasic
BIG sustainability: Johannes Alexander Hackl, Will Chuanruy Yu