100 years and 3 days after the foundation of ESSEC, the School marked a new chapter in its history with the unveiling of two new buildings, the “Galion” and the “Dôme”. The surface area of these latest additions (6 000m² and 2 500m² respectively) means that the Cergy campus is now twice the size of the version into which ESSEC moved in October 1973.
Financed by subsidies from local authorities and also by fund-raising activity as part of the ESSEC Development Campaign, these state-of-the-art structures were designed by architect Marc Seifert, son of Ivan Seifert, who designed the initial Cergy campus.
The “Galion” comprises a series of lecture theaters, classrooms and administrative areas, is designed for teaching activities, and is home to certain Initial and Executive Education programs, as well as the business incubator ESSEC Ventures.
The “Dôme” is a multi-purpose hall bearing an open structure similar in design to the inside of a boat and with sufficient floor space for 2 700 people. It will be used for examination sessions and trade fairs, as well as large-scale conferences, seminars and association events.
The inauguration carried a personal touch as certain alumni were taken on tours of the new premises by current students whilst others attended specially arranged lectures by their former professors. Then came the unveiling of plaques for the 4 new lecture theaters and 6 group work rooms funded by individuals or groups.
Construction of the lecture theaters was made possible by the following associations, individuals and companies:
- The ESSEC USA Alumni Association, whose President, Anne de Louvigny-Stone (E83) was able to attend the event,
- Jean-Luc Decornoy (E75),
- Amadou Raimi (E76) and Serge Villepelet (E79),
- Denis Payre (E85) and Gilles Pélisson (E79),
- Exane.
6 of the 14 group work rooms were funded by donations from the following individuals and companies:
- Cesar Berthier (E64) and Pierre Tapie,
- Romain and Brigitte Burnard (E82 and E82),
- Olivier Stephanopoli (E86),
- Econocom,
- Paris-Honotel,
- PSA Peugeot Citroën.
The other principal formality of the inauguration was held in the “Dôme”, during which tribute was paid not only to ESSEC past and present but, in particular, to the close collaboration with and support from the local authorities, namely the Township Federation of Cergy itself, the Regional Council of Ile-de-France, the General Council of Val d’Oise, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Versailles-Val d’Oise-Yvelines.
The overall cost of the construction project amounts to 31.5 million euros, of which 24.5 million euros has come from local and departmental funding.
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