The Avenue de France is very rigid; there are lots of offices and shops and very few housing
projects. What’s more, all the units are very uniform in size and in height. The architects
therefore wanted to avoid this homogeneity and formality and inject a breath of fresh air to
the area.
The DNA of the building is consequently quite special; its morphology is distinct and
completely different to anything else on the avenue. The project is one building comprised
of a tiered structure measuring 37m, the height limit before the recent change to building
height regulation, and the second a tower measuring 50m, both resting on a common base.
The building is therefore emblematic of the progression from the horizontal to the vertical.
The terraces spiral upwards, catching the light at every angle, adding to the allure of this
tiered tower, whilst leaving an impression of progressive transformation.
The performance resides in the fact that there is no feeling of repetition throughout this
structure of 200 homes. The apartments are stacked on top of one another, but each has its
own strong, unique identity. This is a remarkable building which questions the formality
of surrounding structures. Another important principle that guided Hamonic+Masson
through the design process was to offer true functionality within architectural quality. The
architects spent a lot of time focusing on the details and refining them to assure this was
achieved. They wanted to combine generous surfaces and skilled construction in order to
offer inhabitants a real quality of life and a place they can truly enjoy living in.
Many people aspire to live in suburban style, individual housing. There are many reasons
for this, but in particular being able to create a true identity for one’s own home. Secondly
there is the appeal of eating outside, having direct contact with the outdoors from the
comfort of your own house, all whilst owning one’s own land. These desires must be
integrated in to the scale of the apartments in a collective building.
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