Urban development of the Masséna district, Paris
1995-2009
Atelier Christian de Portzamparc

QUARTIER MASSENA

A new district located between the ´rue de Tolbiac' and the ´rue Watt', on the south bank of the Seine river, in Paris, France
1995. Urban project competition in two phases. Award winning project. Under construction.



How does one open the city to fickleness and gather multiple activities, such as housings, offices, and a university, within the evolutive district of a dense city?
Rather than a strict mass plan, Christian de Portzamparc conceives a set a rules allowing variations. At a district scale, Christian de Portzamparc makes use of a concept he developed during the 80’s, that of the “open block” and its corollary luminous and diversified “open street”.
The buildings are independent and apart, allowing the street to open onto the internal side of the open blocks where gardens are planted. The buildings sides all benefit from an exposure to sunlight. The wide variety of programs, volumes and materials is implemented along the entity of the street.
Nowadays, the city must be able to combine the great with the average, the ordinary with the exceptional, to be lively and evolutive.



Masséna development : Atelier Christian de Portzamparc

Paris Architecture

PROGRAM: Urban project
Conception of urban rules: volumes, division of the blocks, drawing of the network and public gardens.
Number of architects: 30

SURFACES:
Built surface (SHON): 337,000 sqm
Ground surface build: 12,5 hectares.
Average density (COS): 2,81

Housing: 67 200 m2,
Shops: 36 900 m2,
Offices: 117 600 m2
Facilities: 5 200 m2
University: 110 000 m2
Public gardens: 1,2 hectares

CLIENT: Ville de Paris

DEVELOPER: Société d'Economie Mixte d'Aménagement de la Ville de Paris (SEMAPA)

ACDP, TEAM: Karol Claverie, Marie-Elisabeth Nicoleau, Francois Barberot, Wilfrid Bellecour, Barbara Bottet, Thierry Wiet, Clémence Heurtaut, Valérie Berger.

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Masséna development Paris : page - adrian welch / isabelle lomholt