University Descartes Paris

Paris, France

Photo © Sergio Grazia

Architects: Atelier Zündel Cristea

Location: Paris, France
Year: 2014

The two Lecture Halls will faithfully superimpose over the layout of the existing parking lot, while clearing around itself a smooth space, manageable and comprehensible by its users.

Within this particular project, the constructed volume is as important as the residual emptiness that will be generated around it. The clear demarcation of the perimeter in our project addresses the problem of the site’s difficulty in being read and perceived. We designed the most compact of forms possible, covering it with the single material of wood. We provided transparency and diagonal views through an allocation of plain solid masses in the upper part of the structure, while bay windows rest at level with the view in the lower part.

This distribution allows for a view and transparency throughout the internal courtyard. We decided to propose a smooth and serene architecture with the aim of improving the quality of the whole.

For a light and fast construction, one as less disruptive to the University’s functioning as possible; we envisioned a “dry” construction, through assembling the paneling beforehand in the workshop. This manner of construction allows a reduction in the time of actual construction work onsite, while solving the site’s accessibility difficulties.