An air from Orient will blow over Altrad's new head office (extract)

Le Moniteur - June 2021, by Florence JARONIAK

Mohed Altrad's career is closely linked to the Hérault department. It is here that he arrived from Syria to begin his studies; it is here that he built his life and his group, which has become the world leader in industrial services and construction equipment (2020 revenues: €2.58 billion). The head office was still located in Florensac, and the management team occupied an old house in the Lironde district of Montpellier. The building has just been demolished and will be replaced by a two-storey, 800m2 building. “The project is representative of a large international group. While giving me carte blanche, Mohed Altrad expressed the wish for a classic construction in solid stone. This challenge inspired me to make a discreet reference to his oriental origins and led me to imagine columns, including a model in the shape of a cloverleaf" emphasises architect Alain Gillet.

Solidarity

Round columns at the corners and tapered cloverleaf columns framing the openings, a monumental staircase and other gilding will give an atypical cachet to this building. “Some of our employees travel the world several times a year to manage projects. So we don't operate from a fixed location. Based on this principle, the Altrad Group's head office has always been located at my home. Rebuilding it made sense because this new building is a symbol of our business project; it illustrates our values, which include conviviality and solidarity”, says Mohed Altrad.