CREATING A DESTINATION

A dynamic and porous ground floor now unites the two previously opposing buildings whose separate entrances had a full floor height difference between them.

The new active podium, open to the public, offers a barista welcome lobby with its informal work and meeting area, a cafeteria brasserie for staff and coworking tenants as well as a multi-purpose event space in the newly designed extension. A monumental glazed central staircase was created to connect the two buildings and naturally lead visitors from the main entrance rue de Madrid to the rue d’Edimbourg entrance that opens onto a fully redesigned courtyard accessible to all.

By introducing skylights and freeing up the volumes of a previously dark unlit technical room, the new lobby has become a dynamic and welcoming living space.

THE NEW COURTYARD & EXTENSION

The creation of a double-height extension links the two accesses and activates the former under-utilised delivery courtyard. 

Designed as a small pavilion it brings an urban dimension to the site and new visual perspectives from the rue d’Edimbourg through the entrance passageway and into the courtyard. An external staircase runs alongside the glass façade and leads to one of the many roof terraces. The historic building is reflected on the mirrored fins on the façade creating a respectful dialogue between heritage and contemporary.

The previously cluttered courtyard has become a new outdoor a living space, its gently sloping paved floor designed to be accessible to all. A small footbridge further connects the different levels and programmatic elements of the podium.

THE CENTRAL STAIRCASE

The centerpiece of the project, a monumental fully glazed staircase, creates functional and visual connections between the two historic buildings. 

The staircase creates a generous and light-filled vertical link between all the floors leading right up to the newly accessible rooftop. 

Designed as the central backbone of the project, it brings clarity to the circulation and naturally invites users to walk between the floors. Both a landmark in the space and an animation to enrich the user experience, the warm and timeless materials, mixing solid wood and metal, echo the site's industrial past. The staircase is complemented by elevators, ensuring accessibility for all.

THE SKY-FILLED CROWN

The concrete elevation crowning the rue d’Edimbourg building, added in the 1970s, created an unwanted visual distraction to the historic façade.

We chose to redesign the elevation with a glass veil, completely transforming the overall visual impact, highlighting the elegance and detail of the original building and bringing lightness to the whole.

The pleated, screen-printed glazing, echoes the brickwork of the historic facade, diffracts the reflections and contributes to the weightlessness of the new elevation.

This new transparency offers the opportunity to create a floorplate bathed in natural light with wide open views onto Paris and includes a sky bar with adjoining terrace, the boardroom, and a variety of meeting rooms, as well as direct access to the rooftop.

MADRID FACADE AND INTERIOR VOLUMES

On the rue de Madrid side, the renovated facades have regained their original slenderness, inspired by the original design, with the removal of an intermediate floor that was added in the 1990s and impacted the façade and windows.

The floorplates were redesigned to free up the original volumes with the reduction of the intermediate floor and creation of mezzanines to compensate for the demolished surface area, taking advantage of the height and adaptability of the original industrial structure. The objective was to reconcile the interior volumes with the facades, and to create visual continuity as well as a fluid path through the workspace. The site now offers a variety of flexible spaces with generous volumes.

NATURE IN THE CITY

One of the key objectives of the project was to bring nature back into an entirely mineral site and obtain the Biodivercity certification. This was successfully achieved with the creation of nearly 1500 m² of outdoor spaces and terraces, of which 1340 m² accessible and 600 m² planted, representing three quarters of the parcel.

These accessible outdoor spaces reconnect with nature, foster the wellbeing of their occupants and provide alternative collaboration and event spaces. They also answer the city needs to reduce heat island effects, improve rainwater infiltration, and encourage biodiversity.

STUDIOS worked with landscape designer Atelier Tissot to design systems that offered significant soil depths for trees and shrubs. A variety of plant choices were created to match the distinct materiality of the two buildings, with species that could naturally adapt to sunny and dry conditions.

The rooftop, designed as a suspended garden with trees and flowers, provides multiple views of the Paris monuments.

RECONCILING ENVIRONMENTAL AND HERITAGE AMBITIONS.

Alongside Covivio, we aimed for the highest environmental certifications within the context of a heritage site including HQE, BREEAM, BiodiverCity and low carbon initiatives.

All strategies were implemented to minimize the building's energy consumption and reduce its carbon footprint. This included work on the building envelope and its fifth façade, connecting the site to the local urban heating and cooling networks, choosing sustainable materials and treating the terraces in light shades to reduce the heat island effect.

The sum of these strategies paid off, with the project reducing its energy consumption by over 50%.

The project was also pioneering in testing the recently launched French Effinergie Patrimoine certification. Selected from among hundreds of applications, it is one of the first to be certified and demonstrates that ambitious renovations can answer environmental challenges and also respect our architectural heritage.