nathan
cilona
info
200 plan libre : anatomy of an architectural journal
plan libre 200 : neither building nor demolishing
plan libre 198 : happy medieval time
plan libre 197 : tinies
plan libre 196 : roundabouts
plan libre 195 : disappointment of the form
new fictions for architecture
architecture’s photogenicity at the instagram era
altered memory of space
[coll.] synopsis
juliette picherit, portfolio
atelier d’architecture david huet
places
faces
jars
victoria st
Urban Hospitalities*
The Victoria block is a Haussmannian building facing the Paris City Hall in the 4th arrondissement. It previously housed the headquarters of the hospitals of Paris (AP-HP). It is currently undergoing a complete renovation, with a reimagined purpose aiming to become a urban living space, now hosting diverse programs oriented towards the city and its residents.
This project is a collaboration among four architecture agencies formed to respond to an open call from the City of Paris: Dominique Perrault Architecture, Martinez-Barat Lafore architectes, Nicolas Dorval-Bory Architecte, and H2O architectes. The project aims to offer a mix of programs, spanning over tens of thousands of square meters, distributed at various scales among the agencies. Situated in a protected heritage site, this project aspires to make the rehabilitation a symbolic place in Paris, paying special attention to current ecological, economic, and social challenges. It is also subject to temporary occupation by local associations during the lengthy design and construction phases, transforming the unused space into a refuge.
I was called to collaborate with MBL architects during the pre-project phase, spanning over six months. I was entrusted with the task of developing plans and facades for the following programs:
— 48 social housing units (3,300 sqm), distributed as 5 one-bedrooms appartments, 8 two-bedrooms, 18 three-bedrooms, 16 four-bedrooms, and one five-bedroom to facilitate access to housing in the city center.
— The Women's House (1,000 sqm), a temporary shelter for single women or those with children, accommodating up to 50 people simultaneously, and providing shared spaces such as common rooms, kitchens, awakening room, computer room, and psychological support.
— The Solidarity Shelter (200 sqm), a day reception center with a capacity of 6 places.
— The Medical House (400 sqm), offering proximity care for the neighborhood residents and comfortable workspaces for healthcare providers, including 8 consultation rooms, a shared waiting room, infirmary, coworking space, and a relaxation room with a lounge and kitchen.
Alongside commercial and mobility programs opening onto the street:
— 2 shops (200 sqm): Le Comptoir and Le Café de l'Angle, activating urban ground floors on 2 corners of the building.
— Office spaces
— A mobility center (600 sqm), an experimental program using the existing large surface in the basement and ground floor to store, repair, and, most importantly, facilitate the use of sustainable modes of transportation: bicycles, scooters, strollers, etc.
The focus on solidarity and the overall desire to make a place that has always been closed to residents accessible form the essence of this project for me. Its programmatic diversity, implanted in a constrained existing structure, involves conceptual gymnastics and especially induces regulatory complexity that had to be understood to propose quality and spatially unique housing. Not settling for the bare minimum but advocating for natural light, bi-orientation, or large living spaces in the face of numerous project stakeholders also means understanding the mechanisms of architectural production in dense urban areas. All these professions revolving around the project enrich its development with their expertise in technical, economic, but also, and especially, social and environmental domains. The intertwining of these multiple challenges in a single building makes it a gathering place for all residents of central Paris, no matter gender, status nor wealth.
*This is a personal translation, it may vary slightly from the original title.