In Hong Kong, 2 Bouygues Construction subsidiaries, Bouygues Travaux Publics and Dragages Hong Kong, won a contract to construct the 3.5-kilometre underground stretch of the railway linking Hong Kong to Guangzhou. In this very dense urban environment, numerous networks and deep-laid foundations of buildings made tunnelling operations for the two parallel tunnels, each 9 metres in diameter, a real challenge. During the site work, many measures were taken to minimise the nuisance caused to local residents, in particular the installation of 2 sound baffles, which reduced site noise by 49 decibels.

Imagine a building that generates more electrical energy than it consumes! Bouygues Immobilier designed the Green Office Meudon as a pioneering concept in 2001. Nine years later, Bouygues Energies & Services won the contract to operate the site, in the form of an energy performance contract. To optimise the building’s energy consumption, nine distinct uses of energy are analysed (heating, lighting, air conditioning, etc.). The results are conclusive: after the first year of operation, the building was generating more energy from renewable sources than it was consuming.

With monumental gates and carved ceilings, this sublime luxury hotel complex, built as a turnkey project by Bouygues Bâtiment International, has been designed as a typical Moroccan medina and is complete with traditional Moroccan handcrafted finishes. The unique project provides accommodation in 53 riads. Everything about it is exceptional: the baths were delivered by helicopter, the marble was quarried in Carrara, and the onyx was imported from Pakistan.

With a 55,000-seat stadium, a covered 6,000-seat aquatic centre and a fully modular 3,000-seat sports arena, the Singapore Sports Hub is practically a sporting city! Signed under a public-private partnership for the Singapore Ministry of Youth and Sport, the contract includes the financing, design, construction and operation for 25 years of a complex incorporating a number of unique sporting facilities. This project applies the most stringent environmental standards.

Constructed by Bouygues Travaux Publics in the context of the major projects carried out in preparation for the Sydney Olympics in 2000, this 10-kilometre metro line, of which 9 kilometres are underground, provided the city with a major infrastructure. The works on this tunnel beat all records in Australia: at the time of construction, it was the longest tunnel ever driven on the continent, the biggest-diameter TBM used and the first use of a slurry-shield machine. With four new metro stations, the line has been a key addition to the city’s public transport services. It is used by more than 11 million passengers annually.

Working alongside Pertuy Construction, Quille Construction and Colas, Bouygues Travaux Publics carried out the design, construction and financing of an 11.2-kilometre tramway line linking the north and south of the Reims conurbation, which the companies now operate and maintain. The tramway was brought into service after the record time of only 2 years of works, and it has been a great success. Approximately three-quarters of the inhabitants of Reims express themselves satisfied with this reliable means of transport which enables them to cross the city rapidly wo problems of congestion.

Located in the heart of the financial centre of Dubai, the 5-star Ritz-Carlton Hotel has 270 bedrooms, 71 suites, three restaurants and a shopping mall. It offers its customers the very best level of service. Constructed by Bouygues Bâtiment International, this vast complex consists of two 15-storey buildings with facades clad in pink granite and interior fittings that combine modern design with Arab influences. Pre-tensioning work was carried out by VSL, while the MEP systems (the air-conditioning, electricity and plumbing packages) were designed and installed by Bouygues Energies & Services.

We have totally refurbished Challenger, our own head office, twenty years after it first opened. The twin aims were to increase energy and environmental performance while improving the working conditions of the 3,200 people employed there. The project included the replacement of 88 % of the facade by a double-skin facade with very high thermal performance and the installation of more than 25,000 m² of photovoltaic solar panels. All of this makes Challenger one of the very first renovated positive-energy commercial buildings.

The new Larnaka International Airport, which was inaugurated in November 2009, extends over an area of 100,000 m². In the framework of a 25-year public-private partnership, Bouygues Bâtiment International designed and constructed the new terminal, in accordance with European and anti-seismic standards. It is highly energy-efficient; its ventilation system includes an air displacement diffuser to avoid waste. The terminal provides greater comfort than its predecessor and helps reduce passenger waiting time.

In Rostock, in north-eastern Germany, Bouygues Construction financed, designed and constructed the road tunnel that crosses the River Warnow. Forming part of the Berlin-Hamburg link with no disruption to river traffic, the tunnel is submerged rather than bored, as this was a less expensive solution. Bouygues Construction now operates the site, which was Germany’s first concession-operated motorway structure.

GreenCity will be completed in 2018. It is an ambitious project, with 67,000 m² of offices, 8,000 m² of shops and 750 homes, a third of them in the low-rent sector. The development will have the "2000-watt site" label – a concept developed by the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale in Zurich which aims to reduce the electrical consumption of each inhabitant from 6,000 W to 2,000 W. GreenCity will produce energy through an integrated hydroelectric plant, photovoltaic panels and wood fuel heating. Losinger Marazzi, a Swiss subsidiary of Bouygues Construction, is responsible for building it.

The prestigious British Home Office (the U.K.’s Ministry of the Interior) in the heart of London was built by Bouygues UK. The main building provides 75,000 m² of work space for around 3,500 civil servants. The complex, which is equipped with a heat-pump and double-flow ventilation and employs eco-labelled materials, won a RIBA Award for its high architectural quality and its environmental performance. Bouygues Energies & Services is responsible for Facilities Management for a period of 26 years.

Bouygues Travaux Publics has financed, designed and constructed a second tunnel under the River Tyne and refurbished the original tunnel. Operated by the Group, the twin-tunnel crossing improves traffic flow on the A19 highway linking the north and south of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne region. During the entire period of the project, targeted actions were put in place to ensure the protection of the environment. To give one example, the dredging of the river was organised outside the migration period of salmon.

Under the terms of a public-private partnership contract including finance, design, construction and operation, Bouygues Bâtiment International was responsible for the Budapest Arena. This fully modular, 40,000 m² venue, opened in 2002, can seat up to 15,000 people, and hosts major events of all kinds. It is elliptically shaped, and boasts particularly high-quality acoustics, with an echo of 3 seconds (compared to 7 seconds at Paris-Bercy).

In the framework of Croatia’s first infrastructure concession project, Bouygues Travaux Publics and DTP has carried out all the works: widening a 100-kilometre stretch of road, constructing or extending the engineering structures, building toll plazas and installing communications and drainage networks. Operated and maintained by the Group for a period of 32 years, the motorway has a key role to play in improving access to the Istria peninsula.

From 2007 to 2018, Bouygues Travaux Publics and Vinci constructed the confinement shelter for the reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear plant, in Ukraine. The colossal structure (measuring 108 metres in height and with a frame weighing 23,000 tonnes) has a projected lifespan of 100 years. It allows  dismantling the damaged reactor that was responsible for the disaster in 1986. All the workers involved in this project received increased medical monitoring, and have been issued with specific protection equipment.

Crossing the Masan Bay, close to Busan, the second largest city in South Korea, is a magnificent 1,750-metre long cable stay suspension bridge. Bouygues Travaux Publics et Hyundai Engineering Corp are responsible for this concession operation, involving design, construction and operation for 30 years. During the entire period of construction, environmental issues were taken extremely seriously. To give one example, nets were installed to ensure that no construction waste fell into the water.

Dragages Hong Kong and VSL are working on the first section of the world’s largest sea bridge between Hong Kong and the cities of Macao and Zhuhai. It will carry a dual three-lane highway over the sea for approximately 42 kilometres. The project is applying the most stringent environmental practices. Particular attention is being given to conserving the seabed and protecting the Chinese white dolphins, which are an endangered species. Handover is scheduled for 2016.

Standing at 314 metres tall, the grandiose MahaNakhon Tower decorates the Bangkok skyline. This original and complex skyscraper is situated in Bangkok's business district and was designed by Bouygues-Thai for Pace Development. At 314 metres tall, the singularity of the building's architecture gives each of its 77 floors a unique character. The MahaNakhon Tower also houses various facilities, such as a shopping centre, 184 high-end residences operated by the Ritz Carlton and a 150-room hotel.

VSL, a subsidiary of Bouygues Construction specialising in post-tensioning (adding steel cables to concrete), installed the world’s highest skybridge to link the Nation Towers in Abu Dhabi. This extraordinary structure, one of the marvels of local architecture, is suspended 202.5 metres above the ground. The 385-tonne link bridge was hoisted into place in Spring 2011. It was a remarkable technical feat, particularly as the wind was blowing at around 35 kph.

Since 2014, the Doha business district in Qatar includes a brand new 700,000 m² office complex, known as the Qatar Petroleum District. The first project completed by Bouygues Bâtiment International in Qatar, the development consists of nine office towers ranging between 16 and 47 storeys, as well as a 405-room 5-star hotel, car parks with 5,340 places and a conference centre. To meet all its needs for air-conditioning, in particular for its data centre, the QP District produces its own chilled water.

Since Summer 2011, South Africans have been able to take advantage of the rapid rail link which now connects Johannesburg and Pretoria in 38 minutes, with no bottlenecks. Between 2006 and 2011, Bouygues Travaux Publics took part in the construction of the 77-kilometre line, which includes 15 kilometres of tunnels. The construction site abided by strict environmental protection guidelines which included replanting all trees removed, minimising noise levels and limiting the amount of dust generated.

Following its involvement in the construction of metro lines 1 and 2 in Cairo alongside Colas Rail and Alstom, Bouygues Travaux Publics is now boring tunnels for line 3. On completion, scheduled for 2020, the link will be around 30 kilometres long. It will cross the Egyptian capital from east to west, and will link the city with the airport. The complete metro network will form a public transport network with an essential task to perform in relieving traffic congestion in Cairo, where car traffic is at saturation point. Up to 2 million passengers per day are expected to travel on the new section of metro.

In 2014, the consortium of contractors led by Bouygues Travaux Publics completed works of the extension to the Tangiers Med container port. This second port complex includes the construction of two new breakwaters, which were mostly created using concrete caissons with low environmental impact. This facility increased the capacity of Tangiers to 8 million containers, making it one of the biggest container ports in the Mediterranean and in Africa.

In Summer 2014, Bouygues Travaux Publics handed over a major road tunnel in Miami, Florida. Constructed under a public-private partnership contract, it links Watson Island to the Port of Miami, which was formerly served by only a single highway. The new road is good for the economic development of the port zone and decongests downtown areas by removing the freight traffic that transited through the city. The two-tube tunnel required special techniques for boring through highly porous substrates of dead coral.

In Mexico, VSL, a subsidiary of Bouygues Construction, has constructed the second world’s tallest cable-stay bridge, as confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records. Located between Mazaltan and Durango, the bridge spans a deep canyon and reaches approximately 403 metres above the Baluarte river. This infrastructure play a key part in the economic development of the country, as it is form part of the highway link that connects the Pacific Coast to the Gulf of Mexico in two-and-a-half hours, as against six hours before. 

With the Laguna del Este 3 luxury hotel complex which opened in 2014, Bouygues Construction provides the best possible luxury in the largest island in the Caribbean. The 1,020 rooms spread over an 83,000 m² site offer the best in comfort and immediate proximity with the paradise beaches of the Cayo Santa Maria. Featuring contemporary architecture, the hotel consists of 19 bungalow-style buildings, a theatre and entertainment centre, a beach grill, a spa and restaurants well stocked with local delicacies.

Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France delivered France’s new Ministry of Defence in 2015, a futuristic building with a white laminated facade which contrasts with the monumental entrance. The site accommodates the Minister of Defence’s special advisors, the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the French defence procurement agency and other military departments and administrative services. In all there is roughly 9,300 people spread over 410,000 m2.

This top-quality residential complex has been designed by Bouygues Bâtiment International. Built on 12 levels, this complex comprises only 16 apartments with a minimum surface area of 550 m².

As part of a concession contract, Bouygues Construction and Colas constructed the north section of the A41 motorway. The particularly challenging 3-kilometre Mont Sion tunnel was built in record time thanks to the use of 18,000 voussoirs precast on-site. The motorway means that Annecy is now 30 minutes from Geneva, which is key to the economic growth of the region.

When Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France handed over the First Tower at La Défense, it marked the completion of the largest HQE-certified refurbishment ever carried out in France. Thanks a complete process of modernisation according to new environmental standards and the installation of equipment with high energy efficiency, the tallest skyscraper in La Défense has divided its energy consumption by five.

Composed of a large aluminium- and glass-clad block and a stack of suspended glazed volumes, the new National Archives complex constructed by Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France is a true architectural success. Open to researchers and to the general public, the site provides visitors with optimal conditions in which to study public records dating from the French Revolution onwards. The conservation of documents is ensured by sophisticated equipment that monitors humidity, air quality and temperature and detects any outbreak of fire.

Designed by Jean Nouvel, this new venue features a modular 2,400-seat auditorium, numerous rehearsal rooms and secondary performance spaces and a teaching centre. It will host concerts by leading symphony orchestras along with a wide range of cultural events. With electricity consumption below 50 kWh/m2/year, the hall meet the highest standards both for its acoustics and for the environment.

In 2011, Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France handed over a 16,400 m² secure data centre to Global Switch. The 7-storey building is the largest facility of its type in France. Bouygues Energies & Services, an expert in data centres, carried out all the electrical and HVAC installations, with a guarantee of continuity of service, even in the event of a power cut.

The central station in Kuala Lumpur, opened in 2001, was built by Dragages Malaysia. Following four years of works, the city-centre facility provides access to all modes of transport. The station, along with its 18 kilometres of track, is served by an elevated metro line, suburban and mainline trains and an express train service running to the international airport. The enormous central building also houses numerous other amenities, including public service agencies, offices, shops and car parks.

As a member of the Arema project company, Bouygues Construction is responsible for reconfiguring the Stade Vélodrome football stadium, and operating it for 35 years. The reconfiguration was a real challenge, because the stadium was continuing to stage matches and welcome supporters throughout the entire construction period. The project included the renovation of the stands, roofing them to protect all spectators from bad weather. A new eco-neighbourhood is also being built, adjacent to the stadium. The new Stade Vélodrome has now a capacity for 67,000 spectators. It meets all environmental criteria and is classified as a category 4 stadium by UEFA.