Origami Building

Located near the Arc de Triomphe and Place de l’ Etoile, and designed by Manuelle Gautrand, Barclays’ Paris headquarters is distinguished by the sophisticated urban mood created by its main façade and the more private, green area at the rear of the building. Extending for over 60 feet along Avenue de Friedland, it features, above its inner glass membrane, a second glass skin with a silk-screened reproduction of marble veining. Each glass module of this skin is in a stainless steel frame, creating an extraordinary effect of ‘marble origami’, marked by its delicate ‘folds’, which are visible both inside and outside the building. To the rear, the cafeteria and meeting rooms are located between two gardens. The design takes advantage of the location of the site and the views offered by the building, which is enveloped by a delicate natural light filtered through the translucent skin of marble origami, creating a soft feel while also providing privacy.
The rhythm of the origami is accentuated in the central part of the building, creating a delicate relief effect, while to the sides, this rhythm is less intense so as to harmonize with the façades of the nearby buildings. The marble grain pattern was designed to create an 'open book’ effect, reminiscent of traditional marble work.
The building, which accommodates luxury office spaces, six meeting rooms, a cafeteria and lounge, a records room and parking facilities for more than eighty cars on four underground levels, has received ‘NF Bâtiments Tertiaires – Démarche HQE®’ certification, which in France recognizes the high environmental quality of commercial buildings, during the design and construction phases and final use.