ZAC Saussure, Pont Cardinet

The Saussure-Pont Cardinet block is located south of the Clichy-Batignolles sector, a vast urban redevelopment of former railway shunting yards in the 17th arrondissement of Paris.

The project comprises housing units and commercial premises. Triangular in plan, it has nine levels, including two basement levels. The project’s conception is based on the rhythm of its facade. The regularity and size of the openings and the maximum ceiling height render the building’s definition in terms of use ambiguous. The interplay of matter and transparency defines the envelope of the ensemble, which, for urban planning reasons, has to occupy the entire plot and take its exact form. Loggias irregularly punctuate the façades.

Only the central concrete circulation core and facades are weight-bearing, leaving the floor space relatively free, allowing maximum freedom for the arrangement of each level and eventual changes in use. The facade is composed of prefabricated architectonic concrete elements with a slight curve on the most significant south side.