Just a stone’s throw from Place de l’Étoile, the building complex at 173–175 Boulevard Haussmann stands on the intersection with Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris’s historic, and prestigious, 8th arrondissement. The complex is a hybrid, comprising two buildings with different styles. Constructed in 1863 as a residential building, No. 175 is a classic Haussman design. No. 173, which dates from the early 1920s, has art deco elements and has always housed offices. In the early ’90s, restructuring was done to join the two buildings together as part of the commercial development of the area, but no attempt was made to create any compositional harmony between the two.
Following the restructuring project conceived by architects PCA-STREAM, however, the complex has acquired an urban readability on par with its extraordinary location. Aiming to address the challenges of the workspaces of tomorrow, RF Studio redesigned the complex’s interior architecture to create flexible, open, well-lit, and comfortable spaces. Circulation areas were reimagined and a new elevator bank was constructed, completely eliminating any sense of boundary between the two buildings.
The large common areas, designed by PCA-STREAM, include a triple-height atrium, which acts as a town square for staff, and a panoramic terrace with ornamental greenery.
Inspired by an ambition to create a new landmark on the Parisian landscape, PCA-STREAM’s project centered on giving the entire complex a new image and energy, while also optimizing its surfaces. The first of the new floors is stone, chosen to create balance with the masses of the floors below. The last two floors, under a glass roof, have a more contemporary spirit, creating a unique aesthetic. This glass roof has reinvented the identity of No. 175 as a highly contemporary element integrated into its historic setting.
This iconic landmark also underscores the symbolic role of the new headquarters as an expression of the company’s image and values. With the spaces created under its glass roof uniquely poised between interior and exterior, this is a place to both see and to see from.
Location: Paris, France
Project team:
Interior Architecture: RF Studio
Project Management: Invesco
Assistant to the Contracting Authority: JLL
Executive Project Management: SCO
Structural Engineering Consultancy: Kephren
Façade Engineering Consultancy: VS-A
Thermal and Fluids Consultancy: CCI
Fire Safety: CSD Face
Environment: Green Affair
Economist: DAL
Acoustics: META acoustique
Landscape design: Sous Les Fraises
Safety Coordination: Qualiconsult
Lighting design: PHA, LOOOM
Geometer: Legrand
Photography: © Jean Philippe Mesguen; © Salem Mostefaoui
courtesy of PCA - STREAM