French Space Command, Toulouse
The new French Space Commandement in Toulouse forms
a tertiary campus of almost 13,000 m², comprising the
Commandement De l’Espace (CDE) and the NATO Space
Centre Of Excellence (COE). Located on the site of the
Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), it will host to
over 500 people from September 2025. This new facility
will consolidate France’s position as a major player in the
mastery of space, and Toulouse’s position as the European
capital of aeronautics and space.
The project brings together three major architectural
elements: the CDE, the COE and the Parade Ground that
links them, a space for representation and ceremonies. It
must also reconcile openness to the public space and staff
working comfort with safety, security and confidentiality.
With their distinct, recognizable identities, the statutory
architecture of the CDE and the COE uses sober, high-quality,
highly institutional materials (concrete, glass), with
a chromatic approach to their metal skins: blue-grey for
the CDE, solid blue for the COE. Inside, the two buildings
feature large, spacious halls, showcases for both facilities,
exhibition areas and meeting places, both before and after
inspections. The CDE, structured into different areas, is
irrigated by a common general circulation, a true tripleheight
living space, crossed by walkways and illuminated
by a central patio.
Team
Director
Project leader
Céline Tosti
Team
Sabine Fontana, Ketty Maitre, Florian Burnichon, Perrine Alexandre, Léa Belot, Annick Isnard, Adrien Jacques le seigneur, Marie-Anne Steinhaus