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HISTORY: The former Peugeot headquarters was a late modernist landmark on Avenue de la Grande Armée in Paris designed by the Sainsaulieu brothers. After Peugeot left the building, real estate investor GECINA acquired the 1960s property and wanted to put it to a new use. Demolishing the existing building was out of the question because this was not the intention of GECINA and the Paris city authorities. RESTRUCTURING – the ambitious goals: The project l1ve should perpetuate the identity and function of the ambience, create a public meeting zone and urther develop the striking façade structure both architecturally and technically. The corporate purpose and statement were adapted to the new challenges: City and nature interact as a communication network.
THE IMPLEMENTATION: The existing volumes were retained, the inner courtyards were changed into a public garden and covered square, and the gallery on the avenue was redesigned into a transparent lobby around 100 metres long. The interaction between the building l1ve and the avenue takes place in a place where automobiles used to be displayed. THE FACADE: Bronze meets concrete. The façade on the Avenue has been brought up to today's building standards, its structure subtly developed further. Cantilevered bronze window boxes reinforce the existing window openings both thermally and aesthetically. The boxes have different depths, creating a new rhythm. Plasticity and self-chosen order come together to form a façade that gives the project a strong physiognomy in the urban space.
RECYCLING FOR THE FUTURE The l1ve project exemplifies how the image of our profession is changing - transforming from star architect to comprehensively profiled participant in environmental management. L1ve also showed the problems of recycling and what we can learn from it. 5,165 tonnes of demolished building fabric could be recycled. Actual sale of materials represents only a small part of recycling. Most of the material was reused elsewhere in the building, e.g, for the floor in the gallery. In future, it will be important to avoid composite materials and use simple materials that can be reused without a transformation process. Energy sources: Geothermal wells, Photovoltaic panels on the roof, Urban heating (CPCU, 50%) of local renewable energy Award: 2020 MIPIM Award | Best Futura Project
110 METERS FOR PARIS A project of restructuring makes it possible to intensify the strong architectural gesture - this is the basic idea for the renovation of the late-modern Peugeot headquarters near the Arc de Triomphe. The project l1ve offers an exciting 110-metre-long façade to the central Parisian urban space. The existing concrete structure forms the background for an innovative window system. Box windows with different depths are fitted into the structure. Rhythm, plasticity, and self-chosen order come together to form a façade with a strong physiognomy. But the project with 33,434 square metres of gross floor area achieves more: few simple materials, neutrality of use of the areas and the acceptance of the architecture forms the basis for the longevity of the building and for its special sustainability. Open office structures, the gallery on the ground floor and generous open spaces combine to create a living environment that is in harmony with the attractive greenery. L1ve also shows that the idea of reorganising the existing saves valuable resources and leads to the recycling of the demolition material. After all, 5,615 tonnes of building fabric were removed, and 92 per cent were recycled. Circular economy is not only a material process. You can create a place with a differentiated, attractive use that meets the requirements of today and tomorrow.
"The project l1ve brings a new identitiy into the central urban space of the avenue de la Grande Armée in Paris", GECINA
UNDERSTANDING LOCAL CULTURE On the foundation of a clear attitude that can be described as authentic, methodical and poetic, Baumschlager Eberle Architekten formulate architectural responses to the rapidly changing built environment and societies worldwide. Founded in 1985 in Vorarlberg (Austria), Baumschlager Eberle Architekten have 14 independent branches in Europe and Asia. The office communities currently comprise around 350 employees from 21 nations. Our local presence deepens our understanding of local contexts, environmental and cultural characteristics. This is important because with our architecture Baumschlager Eberle Architekten assume responsibility: for the clients, the users and the sustainability of the environment.
