Spectacular Architecture Design for Place de la Bastille Housing Project

A New Housing Project in Place de la Bastille

It is every architect's dream to design a building in a prominent location like the Biscornet site. After years of neglect, the site has been transformed into a stunning housing project that is nothing short of spectacular. Situated a stone's throw away from the Place de la Bastille, the building is surrounded by the rue de Lyon and the road that runs along the canal basin. The location offers stunning views of the Gare de Lyon on one side and the Bassin de l'Arsenal on the other.

A Perfect Architectural Response

The BP-designed building is a perfect fit for the trapezoid-shaped plot. The design is hand-stitched, oozing with Parisian elegance. The building tapers forward, abutting onto the neighbouring building, and has a graceful, vertical outline. The side blocks are clad in golden aluminium panels whose distortions give the façades an angular relief, playing with the light. The continuity and unity of the material are entire, and when the residents open the window shutters, the vivid colours of the windowframes appear, like an exuberant lining, alternating flashes of pink, mauve, and orange.

A Design that Resonates with Coherence

The pleated vertical metal panels on the façades continue upwards to form the 'hood' of the roof, giving the design a strong sense of coherence. The Lartigue Foundation gallery is on the ground floor, and this change of use facilitates interruption and differentiation. The contrast is underlined by transparency and by a concrete structure whose zig-zag shape subtly connects the ground with the pleated surface above. The building is highly responsive to changes in light, and the metallic character of the materials combined with its surface variations reinforces the interplay of contrasts and transforms perceptions of its colour.

A Reflective Filter

Although there are only about fifteen flats in the building, the loggias of the eight duplex apartments are behind glass Venetian blinds that form a continuous, abstract vertical screen. This reflective filter running the entire height of the building is like a ship's prow. The random angles of the slits capture fragmented reflections, fleeting images of the constantly moving, ever-changing spectacle of our irreplaceable and historic Place de la Bastille. The BP-designed building on the Biscornet site is a work of art that harmonizes with its surroundings, reflecting the vibrancy of the Place de la Bastille, and breathing new life into the area.

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