DETAILS PROJECT
From Navigator to Ecoryzon: Reviving an Iconic Building
Constructed in the 1980s at the western gateway to Sophia Antipolis, the Navigator building long stood as a symbol of the technopole’s rise. But in the post-Covid transformation of commercial real estate, its 5,600 m² of office space was left over 90% vacant. It was then that Groupe Courtin made the bold move to acquire the building at the end of 2021. The goal: to give it a second life, a renewed identity, and high thermal and environmental performance.
The Challenge: A Complete Overhaul
Transform everything while changing almost nothing — such was the ambition behind this full-scale rehabilitation project, which sought to preserve the building’s original architectural design. With its curtain walls at the entrances and façades framed by generous continuous glass bands, the building’s aesthetic already aligned with modern expectations for natural light and a connection to the surrounding landscape.
WICONA Solutions: Combining Aesthetics and Performance
To replace the outdated structural glazing façades (VEC), the project owner opted for non-VEC solutions — more cost-effective while still meeting aesthetic demands. Finished in discreet RAL 9004 black, high-insulation WICLINE 65 HI frames now make up the continuous glass bands. These alternate fixed and openable units of substantial size (each measuring 1,528 mm high by 1,347 mm wide, with band lengths ranging from 6.3 to 8 metres depending on location). Some units also integrate heavy-duty single-leaf WICSTYLE 65 Grand Traffic doors.
The thermal performance of the aluminium systems is complemented by the use of Cool-Lite® Xtreme 70/33 glazing from Saint-Gobain Building Glass.
The building’s four entrances are now defined by WICTEC 50 grille curtain walls, each 9 metres high and 6 metres wide, framing double-leaf WICSTYLE 65 doors.
