HOUSING AND SHOPS_RUE TOLBIAC

The new housing and shops residence is located on the corner of Tolbiac street and Chevaleret street in the 13th arrondissement in Paris. Urban stairs link both streets and goes along the new building in front of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France subway station.

The distinctive characteristic and also the strength of the place is the privileged location between the historic 13th arrondissement and an emerging district. Facing the density of the programme of 10.000 square meters (housing, restaurant, shops, fitness, parking-lots...) and the compactness of the volume, Franklin Azzi chooses to remove the material and separate the spaces. A terrace of plants has been developed in the heart of the block. It structures the space. As it is opened on the street, it allows porosity between the built front and the city.

Glass covers the facade of the shops, offering brightness and visibility to brands, while accommodations are covered with wood and have different units  with open sides. Balconies and conversatories allow a domestication of the outsides, so the housing will have at their disposal vegetable gardens and will participate to the biodiversity of the block.