Architecture

Renzo Piano designs glass armadillo home for Pathé foundation

Renzo Piano designs glass armadillo home for Pathé foundation
Renzo Piano Building Workshop has designed a new HQ for the Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé (Photo: Michel Denancé)
Renzo Piano Building Workshop has designed a new HQ for the Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé (Photo: Michel Denancé)
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Renzo Piano Building Workshop has designed a new HQ for the Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé (Photo: Michel Denancé)
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Renzo Piano Building Workshop has designed a new HQ for the Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé (Photo: Michel Denancé)
The building is located in the XIII arrondissement of Paris (Photo: Michel Denancé)
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The building is located in the XIII arrondissement of Paris (Photo: Michel Denancé)
Two existing buildings were demolished to accommodate the new HQ (Photo: Michel Denancé)
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Two existing buildings were demolished to accommodate the new HQ (Photo: Michel Denancé)
The façade of the previous building has been retained, having been decorated by a young Auguste Rodin (Photo: Michel Denancé)
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The façade of the previous building has been retained, having been decorated by a young Auguste Rodin (Photo: Michel Denancé)
The building is shaped to ensure an improvement to the quality of the surrounding space (Photo: Michel Denancé)
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The building is shaped to ensure an improvement to the quality of the surrounding space (Photo: Michel Denancé)
The building's shape is also partly designed to ensure neighboring buildings get enough light and air (Photo: Michel Denancé)
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The building's shape is also partly designed to ensure neighboring buildings get enough light and air (Photo: Michel Denancé)
The building is designed to sit snugly between two others (Photo: Michel Denancé)
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The building is designed to sit snugly between two others (Photo: Michel Denancé)
The building sits anchored on just a few supports (Photo: Michel Denancé)
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The building sits anchored on just a few supports (Photo: Michel Denancé)
The building has a curved glass roof to allow light in (Photo: Michel Denancé)
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The building has a curved glass roof to allow light in (Photo: Michel Denancé)
The building is split across five floors (Photo: Michel Denancé)
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The building is split across five floors (Photo: Michel Denancé)
The building houses offices for the Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé (Photo: Michel Denancé)
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The building houses offices for the Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé (Photo: Michel Denancé)
In addition to offices, the building houses Pathé’s archives, exhibitions spaces and a 70-seat screening room (Photo: Michel Denancé)
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In addition to offices, the building houses Pathé’s archives, exhibitions spaces and a 70-seat screening room (Photo: Michel Denancé)
The curved roof of the building is just visible over the façade and surrounding buildings (Photo: Michel Denancé)
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The curved roof of the building is just visible over the façade and surrounding buildings (Photo: Michel Denancé)
A workman atop the glass roof of the building, which is due to be completed in September (Photo: Michel Denancé)
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A workman atop the glass roof of the building, which is due to be completed in September (Photo: Michel Denancé)
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View gallery - 26 images

The Renzo Piano Building Workshop has designed a striking new home for the Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé in Paris. The building is a striking, curved structure that sits snugly between two others. It retains the preserved façade of an older building, which is decorated with sculptures by Rodin.

Renzo Piano Building Workshop is perhaps best known for designing the Shard in London, which Gizmag recently visited following the opening of the Shangri-La Hotel at the Shard.

The Fondation Jerôme Seydoux-Pathé, meanwhile, describes itself as, "an organization dedicated to the preservation of Pathé’s heritage, and to the promotion of the cinematographic art." Its new HQ was designed with the aim of meeting the needs of the Foundation and also improving the quality of the surrounding spaces.

The façade of the previous building has been retained, having been decorated by a young Auguste Rodin (Photo: Michel Denancé)
The façade of the previous building has been retained, having been decorated by a young Auguste Rodin (Photo: Michel Denancé)

The building's location, in a historical city block, required that consideration was given to how it would fit in. It sits on the site of a former mid-19th century theater, which would later become one of the first cinemas in Paris. Two existing buildings on the site had to be demolished in order to accommodate the new structure and to work within the restrictions of the location, but the façade was retained and restored for its historic and artistic value.

The curved shape of the new structure improves the access to natural light and air of neighboring buildings and increases the amount of surrounding space, leaving enough room for a rear garden. The arching roof is formed of glass to allow light into the offices. Its peak is just visible from a distance, poking up from behind the façade and rising about the surrounding buildings.

Inside, as well as the Foundation's offices, the building houses Pathé’s archives, exhibitions spaces and a 70-seat screening room.

The building is designed to sit snugly between two others (Photo: Michel Denancé)
The building is designed to sit snugly between two others (Photo: Michel Denancé)

The Fondation Jerôme Seydoux-Pathé has a total area of 2,200 sq m (23,681 sq ft) and is 25 m (82 ft) tall, spread over five floors. It is due to be completed and opened in early September.

Source: Renzo Piano Building Workshop

View gallery - 26 images
1 comment
1 comment
ASHDIL
now all you need to do is add some flexible solar panels to the sun-facing sides of the structure and wa-la!!!!.......you reducing your carbon foot print...think about it....