In the heart of the 7th district of Paris, where the boulevard Raspail, the rue du Bac and the rue de Grenelle meet, you can find a unique, almost kept secret site. After being preserved from urban changes for years, the block is renewed under the impulse of the Emerige Group to become the heart and soul of the quarter.
This ambitious architectural and landscaping plan brings together great talents - Yannick Alléno, Nicole Barthélémy, Olivier Bellin, Frédéric Bourstin, Michel Desvigne, Abdoulaye Fadiga, Pierre Hermé, Fabrice Hyber, Eva Jospin, Thierry Marx, Anne-Sophie Pic, Alexandre Polmard, Stefan Rinck, Marc Vellay, Junichi Yamaguchi - in order to promote the French 'art de vivre' and the cntemporary design through this housing program.
Considering the rich heritage and the architectural challenge, Franklin Azzi Architecture's project is directed towards a bold but careful rehabilitation with the big goal of preserving the soul and spirit of the place. By bringing his vision of making the industrial character and heterogeneous facets of the block the greatest assets of this project, Franklin Azzi convinced all the actors involved in the project.
From an in-depth analysis of the geometry of the buildings, their lines and frames, the ambition of the project is both to preserve the atypical character of the site and to make the buildings coexist in a coherent way with all these typologies, while orienting them towards contemporary uses. To achieve this, the rehabilitation ensures the conservation of the primary frames of the buildings, the original fills, the existing openings, and the characteristics of each of the facades for a respectful intervention and a sustainable approach.