Hikari

Mezzoteam supported the creation of Hikari, an iconic project in the Lyon Confluence district that marked a major milestone in the development of smart, energy-efficient buildings. Designed by architect Kengo Kuma in collaboration with CRB Architectes, this 12,800 m² mixed-use block was Europe's first positive-energy urban complex, bringing together offices, housing, and retail within a single ecosystem.

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Developed as part of a Franco-Japanese partnership with the support of NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization), Hikari demonstrated that an approach based on sharing resources and energy flows could sustainably optimize a district's performance. The three buildings communicate with each other to distribute energy production and demand in real time, using intelligent management that combines photovoltaic production, cogeneration, geothermal energy, and energy storage.

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Even today, Hikari stands as a benchmark for sustainable urban development, proving that a mixed-use block can combine high energy performance with innovation, achieving consumption levels approximately 50% lower than the regulatory requirements of the time while producing more energy than it consumes.

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Photo: Overview of the three buildings © Olivier Guerrin