In order to minimise the impact on the surrounding space, the layout of the existing construction is retained. The result is a long and slender building, crowned by an asymmetrically pitched roof with loggias.
The project is inspired by the memory of the place or ‘genius loci’ by preserving the regular ‘industrial’ grid that characterised the layout of the original façade, and by rediscovering the sloping roof, the archetype at the heart of the block’s construction.
In this context of high density, almost mono-orientated to the west, and in response to the double challenge of light and breathing space, which are fundamental principles of housing quality, work is being carried out to guide the upper-most light downwards through the glass canopies as well as a succession of glass floors, to create ‘cathedral’ volumes, and to extend the living spaces outside (loggias on the top level, terraces on the ground floor).
The envelope echoes the desire for a landscaped core block. Continuing on the 5 façades, it is made of chestnut siding, with a grey tint that is close to the silvery tint that appears after the wood has aged.