Subsidised Housing in Paris
Part of the concept to restructure a large city block between Gare de Lyon and the Seine involved increasing the density in the courtyard: two tower-like structures with a total of 62 apartments – surrounded by 16-storey residential and administrative structures – have replaced rows of freestanding bar-shaped structures dating to the 1950s. Generously scaled balconies cloak the respective 9- and 12-storey apartment towers; from one level to the next, railings alternate with storey-high elements – the latter consisting of louvers, glass panels, or stainless-steel mesh. The different shapes of the balconies dissolve the silhouette and camouflage the building massing. Although the interiors of the apartments stacked atop one another are identical, the variety of the balconies individualises them. French doors connect nearly all of the bedrooms and living rooms to the private outdoor space. The use of reflective surfaces underscores the lofty, lightweight impression. The facades are clad in trapezoidal profiles, which also alternate from storey to storey, from high-gloss stainless steel to matt aluminium. This stratification subtly reinforces the three-dimensionality of the facade. The silver-toned scumbled surfaces on the underside of the balconies are also slightly reflective.
