Marc Mimram is a qualified engineer and architect who is passionate about infrastructure. Based in Paris, his bridges and buildings can be found across Europe and beyond. This Thursday (14 July), Mimram will speak at the event 'Beyond the Bridge', which is part of the V&A’s Engineering Season. Preceding his appearance, Wallpaper* caught up with Mimram for a quickfire insight into his ethos and design process.
W*: As both an architect and engineer, how do you approach building projects?
Marc Mimram: I started as an engineer for architects, working with people like Renzo Piano and Rem Koolhaas. But for me there is no difference between architecture and engineering; a building is a building, gravity is gravity. Architecture is the art of transforming the world.
Why are bridges so important to you?
Bridges are not only a functional connection, they are also a place, a public space. When I began working, bridges came out of catalogues. Now we try to make every bridge different, to take into account the geography and the city.
How do you combine the connecting function of a bridge with place-making?
The most important reference to me is London’s Borough Market, because it’s under London Bridge, so the bridge is the roof. For the Hassan II Bridge in Morocco, we used the shadow of the deck of the road as the roof for a free public space below. Local people use it as a playground, and that’s OK for me.
What do you have on the drawing board?
Under construction is our Panorama building on Paris’s Left Bank, spanning 58m of railway tracks. The infrastructure is the railway, cutting the city in two parts; so the building acts as a bridge or connection to either side, like the Ponte Vecchio in Florence.
What points will you raise during 'Beyond the Bridge'?
In the past, the representation of power was through the building. Now it’s through public space, because everyone shares it, and it’s where we can be together. It’s the place of democracy. Infrastructure is part of that, and that’s incredible for me. I believe that infrastructure can be part of the generous structure in the world.
The book 'Marc Mimram: Architecture and Structure' will be launched at the V&A event, and will be available at RIBA Bookshops.
The Paris-based architect and engineer created the station's design, which was revealed in 2014
Mimram is also behind this design for a bridge in Bath
The Strasbourg School of Architecture is among Mimram's realised works. Photography: Julien Lanoo
As is the Roland Garros training centre, pictured here and completed in 2015
INFORMATION
'Beyond the Bridge' takes place on 14 July from 6pm – 10pm. For more information, visit the V&A website and Marc Mimram’s website
ADDRESS
The Lydia & Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre
V&A
Cromwell Road
London SW7 2RL
-
These illuminating fashion interviews tell the story of style in 2024Selected by fashion features editor Jack Moss from the pages of Wallpaper*, these interviews tell the stories behind the designers who have shaped 2024 – from Kim Jones to Tory Burch, Willy Chavarria to Martine Rose
-
Earthscape Studio: an Indian architecture studio of elevated simplicityBased in India's Coimbatore, Earthscape Studio places craftsmanship, sustainability and a refreshing site-specific approach at its heart; resulting in designs that appear simple but unexpected, and elevated
-
Maserati unveils the Fuoriserie By Hiroshi Fujiwara MC20 Cielo modelHiroshi Fujiwara, the so-called Godfather of Streetwear, lends his talents to Maserati’s in-house bespoke division, creating a stylish take on the company’s open-topped supercar
-
‘Tropical Modernism: Architecture and Independence’ at the V&A is a bold explorationLondon’s V&A presents ‘Tropical Modernism: Architecture and Independence’, a deep dive into 1940s architectural influences within West Africa and India
-
Behind the V&A East Museum’s pleated façadeBehind the new V&A East Museum’s intricate façade is a space for the imagination to unfold
-
Contemporary bridge design connecting worldsThe world’s most extraordinary bridge design, showcasing the finest blend of architecture and engineering, from Italy to the US and the UK. Cross these bridges when you come to them!
-
Young V&A crafted as a ‘joyful’ space for children and familiesYoung V&A opens in east London promising a ‘joyful’ experience for children of all ages
-
V&A's Tropical Modernism: a vivid look at architecture culture in newly independent GhanaSubtitled ‘Architecture and Power in West Africa’, V&A's 'Tropical Modernism' is a richly historical show at the 2023 Venice Biennale, perfectly aligned with the overarching theme of inclusion and exploration of modernism’s overlooked cultural impact
-
British mosques explored: 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale previewPreviewing the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale, we catch up with Shahed Saleem, one of the curators at the Applied Arts Pavilion Special Project. Titled ‘Three British Mosques', this exciting collaboration between La Biennale di Venezia and London's Victoria & Albert Museum focuses on adapted mosque spaces in London
-
Wilkinson Eyre's new Lille Langebro bridge serves Copenhagen's cyclists -
Imagining a new Thames pedestrian bridge in East London
