David Chipperfield Architects

Morland Mixité Capitale Paris, France 2015 – 2022

Additional information

123456Historic building and competition ‘Réinventer Paris’
Urban and architectural concept
Sustainability
Landscape architecture and roof gardens
Art installation by Studio Other Spaces
Facts and data

David Chipperfield Architects

Morland Mixité Capitale Paris, France 2015 – 2022

1 Historic building and competition ‘Réinventer Paris’

Under the motto ‘Réinventer Paris’, the Paris city government launched an international
competition in November 2014 directed at developers, investors and architects andplanning consultants from all over the world. The French capital aimed to reinvent itself
and offer a better quality of life in the city. 23 public spaces and buildings were selected
to be redesigned, including the former prefecture in the 4th arrondissement. All projects
were to develop exemplary solutions to the pressing questions of sustainable urban
design. The resulting innovative, economically and ecologically sustainable ideas forhousing, density, mixture and energy aspire to give the metropolis new impetus in thelong term.
The contract for the conversion of the building in the Marais district at 17 BoulevardMorland was awarded in 2016 to the Société Parisienne du Nouvel Arsenal, represented
by the investor Emerige, together with a large team of planning consultants and users
under the artistic direction of David Chipperfield Architects Berlin, Michel Desvigne
Paysagiste and Studio Other Spaces. This team were selected from a shortlist of threefurther finalists. In order to be able to undertake the revitalisation project, the investor,
the French real estate company Emerige, bought the site from the city. After completion,
the property was acquired by Nuveen Real Estate.
The prefecture building was originally designed by the architects Albert Laprade,Pierre-Victor Fournier and René Fontaine and built from 1957 to 1964. The site is locatedon a former river island - Île Louviers - which is roughly the same size as Île de la Cité.
In 1843, the Grammont arm that separated the island from the Boulevard Morland wasfilled in and the site was connected to the right bank of the Seine. The 16-storey building
with an H-shaped ground plan is 50 metres tall and is visible from afar. It is situatedin the heart of a district characterised by Baron Haussmann and provides exceptionalviews over Paris. Along with the UNESCO and NATO buildings, the building was oneof the largest of its time in Paris. It comprises a concrete skeleton with stone cladding
typical of modernism and is defined by functional geometric architecture. When it
opened, the prefecture was a state-of-the-art office building, equipped with an internal
telephone exchange and a pneumatic tube network for mail distribution.

2Urban and architectural concept

For five decades, the complex served the city’s population as an administrative building.
Nevertheless, its imposing size, rational architectural expression and limited publicaccessibility made it seem like a foreign body in the urban fabric of Paris, rather than anorganic part of the city.
The strength of cities - and buildings - is revealed in their ability to change, adapt andreinvent themselves according to the changing habits and needs of society. Following
a concept of continuity and despite the aesthetic constraints associated with thebuilding’s appearance, its demolition and replacement with a new building wasregarded neither justifiable nor desirable. This is particularly the case at a time when

David Chipperfield Architects

Morland Mixité Capitale Paris, France 2015 – 2022

the preservation and reuse of buildings, products and materials contributes significantly
to a reduction of the carbon footprint. The building, completed around 1960, was still
fit for purpose and in good working order. On closer inspection and after analysing its
geometry and proportions, both the classical order of the building and the construction
method, an early in-situ concrete construction, appeared to have qualities worth
preserving. The same applies to the cladding material of the columns and façades, acream-coloured natural limestone that can be seen in many Parisian buildings and thus
subtly integrates the building into its urban context.
The approach for this project was therefore to transform the overall complex into
something new by means of conversion and extension in combination with convincing
architectural, programmatic and organisational ideas. The existing building structure
formed a robust basis for further development with the aim of making the building
complex and the city tangible in a new way, in particular with regard to the panoramic
views over Paris.
Very early on in the design process, it became clear that the ground floor and the top two
floors of the tower should be made available to the public. Active public use is essential
in transforming the former Préfecture into a place of community life once again. Basedon this concept, the whole ground floor throughout the entire block from the street
Boulevard Morland to Quai Henri IV, is now accessible to all with a public path at groundfloor level. The top two floors with the rooftop bar can also be accessed from here.
Two new volumes complete the urban block along Boulevard Morland and Quai Henri IV.
The new building on Boulevard Morland transfers the entrance and address of the large
building complex back to the street, softening the commanding gesture of the tower. The
imposing forecourt is transformed into a well-proportioned inner courtyard and mediates
in scale between the library opposite and the tower. The new building volume on Quai
Henri IV closes the gap to the adjacent turn-of-the-century buildings in terms of urban
repair. The two new buildings bridge the site between the two existing wings and areraised above the ground floor by arcades. On the second floor, the arcades connect withthe tower, bringing together all sections of the building. The new arcades made of insitu concrete allow a flexible division of space on the ground floor for both current andfuture uses. In addition, they give the building complex a completely new identity and anopen character. Both on Boulevard Morland and on Quai Henri IV, their clear tectonic
and sculptural form marks the new connecting route for everyone who visits, lives in or
passes through the building complex.
The mixed-use programme creates a lively campus where people are present at all timesof the day: While some live here, others take their children to the childcare facility in themorning or come to the office to work. During the day, visitors use the retail facilities andthe quiet courtyards to relax or they meet in the evening in the hotels and restaurants.
The swimming pool is not only available to hotel guests, but also to students from theneighbouring schools. By integrating a diverse variety of private and public functions, theproject creates a microcosm, a city within the city.

David Chipperfield Architects

Morland Mixité Capitale Paris, France 2015 – 2022

3Sustainability

The core architectural idea for the project was to preserve, renovate and further develop
the existing building. This not only ensures urban continuity, but also represents themost important component for the project’s sustainability concept, which has achieved
certification with a range of French and international sustainability standards.
Preserving building fabric as far as possible significantly reduces CO² emissions andsaves energy in terms of demolition and disposal. With great respect for the existingbuilding fabric, the renovation of the former Préfecture repaired all elements that werenot too damaged with the aim of preserving them. All the stone slabs of the façade
were cleaned, repaired and only damaged slabs were replaced. The stone used for this,like the one originally used, comes from the Buffon quarry in Burgundy. Any alterations
or additions to the façade were made for the benefit of living quality and due to legal
requirements. For example, all rooms were given additional external areas through theintegration of new balconies and storey-high windows. The original steel windows nolonger met the current standards for thermal insulation and were therefore replicatedas aluminium windows. These changes in appearance fit into the design concept andcharacter of Laprade’s design, developing it carefully further. Inside, modified, flexibly
designed floor plans ensure that the complex can be re-used in the long term - even if
there is a conversion of use in the future.
The further development from its original use as an administration building to a lively
mixed-use gives the complex a second lease of life by adapting to the demands anddesires of a modern city and society. The principle of flexible use is therefore continued
also in the new parts of the building. With the arcades on the ground floor, the complex
now has a durable, robust primary structure made of in-situ concrete that has been
designed so that it can also be used for different purposes in the future. By cleverly
bundling the shafts, the areas under the arches can be used as interior space as well
as exterior space by adapting them with a flexible final finishing layer with little
structural intervention.
The green courtyards and the roofscape serve as water reservoirs in terms of a “spongecity”. They can absorb rainwater, store it and release it when needed. The intensive
planting - including urban gardening with vertically planted crops to maximise thecultivation area and minimise water consumption - binds fine particulate matter andencourages biodiversity. A closed phyto-purification system is used for irrigation, in
which grey water from the hostel is treated, stored and reused as irrigation water.
The energy cycle, including heating and cooling, is designed according to the same
principle: Based on heat exchange, the different uses within the project can benefit fromeach other. The waste heat generated in the office areas facilitates for instance the hotwater supply in the hotel by connecting the systems to three heat pumps via a watercircuit. This system reduces the total consumption of the building by 15% below theprescribed regulations. The additional energy required is supplied by collective district
heating and cooling systems. In addition, photovoltaic panels on the roofs generateenergy that is used for operations.

David Chipperfield Architects

Morland Mixité Capitale Paris, France 2015 – 2022

4

Landscape architecture and roof gardens

Text provided by Michel Desvigne Paysagiste
Situated between the Île Saint-Louis and the Marais neighbourhood, the building
presents an unparalleled panorama on the historical centre of the city and well beyond.
On the ground floor, three inner courtyards compose a densely planted landscape,surrounded by mineral terraces and traversed by more informal pathways. The landscapeis both circumscribed within the interior of the building and positioned as an extensionof public space. Due to the reduced amount of sunshine of the built environment, we
propose to transpose here a miniature forest made of plant varieties adaptable to thespecific circumstances. Trees of varying size, bushes, herbaceous plants, ferns are allchosen in conjunction with one another and made the subject of a work of composition
and acclimation.
Partially accessible by residents, numerous terraced roofs benefit from the presenceof much sunshine and exceptional orientation. The higher terraced roofs allow for theaddition of spatial innovations and new functions: in particular, a system of verticalplant cultivation (2,300 square meter surface of vertical plant cultivation distributed
over just 590 square meters of ground, composed of over 150 plant varieties), and thedevelopment of organic cultivation methods (bio-filtration of grey waters serving thevertical cultivation areas). In parallel, by means of their orientation and arrangement,
the ornamental gardens create special places for visitors. The intermediate terraced
roofs, which will remain inaccessible, will be planted with simple flower-covered green
expanses. The integration of the technical facilities into the building will be realized soas to conceal them and lessen their visual impact.

5Art installation by Studio Other Spaces

Text provided by Studio Other Spaces‘The seeing city’ is a site-specific, permanent artistic installation designed for thetop two floors of the Préfecture de Paris on Boulevard Morland as part of the larger
Morland Mixité Capitale Project. The work comprises a mirror ceiling on the 15th floor
and a kaleidoscopic ceiling that fades into the sky on the 16th floor. The two levels aretransformed into an immersive optical apparatus that transports Parisian street life to therooftop and its interior spaces, while reflecting the activity in those spaces back down tothe city below.
As visitors move through the 15th floor, its mirror ceiling, which extends from the exterior
into the interior, appears to dematerialise the space. The Seine the streets of Paris float
above them as an inverted city in motion. Visual qualities change with the outdoor lightand weather conditions, with the flow of the river and traffic below, and with the visitors’
movements and shifting perspectives as they navigate the space. The reflective ceiling
also gives onlookers from the street and surrounding buildings a glimpse of the 15th floor
that would otherwise be opaque. In this way, the work blurs the boundary between insideand outside, creating a transition from the interior space of the building into the dynamiccity beyond.

David Chipperfield Architects

Morland Mixité Capitale Paris, France 2015 – 2022

On two opposing sides of the 16th floor, rows of kaleidoscope boxes line the glass
facades. The Quai Saint-Bernard side faces the Seine, and the Boulevard Morland side
looks out onto the cityscape. Each kaleidoscope box is composed of four glass mirror
panels. The sides are reflective at the top and transparent at the bottom, featuring acustom faded pattern that creates a seamless transition between the reflective andtransparent surfaces. The boxes are topped with clear glass domes and are open at thebottom, drawing the sky above into the interior.
The overall fade effect of the artwork smoothly blends the panoramic view of the citywith the kaleidoscopic sky extended by the mirrors. Interior and exterior are fragmented
and reconfigured into an assemblage of seemingly infinite permutations. The effectcontinues on the exterior surface of the glass and is visible from the surrounding streets.
Viewed from the city below, the work disappears into the sky when the weather is calm,and stands out in stark contrast when the reflection differs from the surrounding sky, as
at sunrise and sunset. Recognisable while harmonising with the existing cityscape, thework creates a delicate beacon atop the building by subtly amplifying the atmosphere andsurroundings.
‘The seeing city’ speaks from its immaterial qualities, which are inspired by the desire to
optically interpret the existing building rather than replacing the original structure withsomething entirely new. The intention is to connect people to the everyday context thatthey inhabit in a way that is surprising and dynamic, whether they are floating above orlooking up from the boulevard.

David Chipperfield Architects

Morland Mixité Capitale Paris, France 2015 – 2022

6 Facts and data

ClientAddress
Programme

Green spaces

HeightSite area
Gross floor area
Width x length
FloorsSustainability certificates

Société Parisienne du Nouvel Arsenal,
represented by Emerige
17 boulevard Morland, 75004 Paris, Frankreich
Office: 9,200 m²
Housing: 15.400 m² (202 apartments), including subsidised
housing: 12.400 m² (164 apartments)
Hotel and gastronomy: 10,500 m²
Youth hostel: 4,200 m²
Pool and fitness: 1,600 m²
Kindergarten: 800 m²
Food market: 400 m²
Art gallery: 290 m²
Retail: 1,000 m²
4,000 m² total, including:
Urban Gardening: 2,800 m²
Roof gardens: 300 m²
Three green courtyards: 1,000 m²
50 m
8,400 m²
63,500 m²
88 x 115 m
above ground: 16 (tower), 10 (existing wings), 6 (new wings)
below ground: 4Housing:
Certification NF Habitat HQE
BBC Effinergie Rénovation
Office:Certifications HQE Rénovation/Neuf 2015 Excellent
BBC Effinergie renovation
BREEAM Very Good
Entire building:
Wiredscore Gold