Passy Reservoirs

A former hydraulic engineering structure dating back to the industrial revolution, the Passy reservoirs are embarking on a new lease of life. The Franklin Azzi agency has devised a measured architectural intervention that respects this veritable monument, a remarkable heritage site whose intrinsic architectural qualities must be preserved. Centered around an underwater wine cellar, the project combines a spa, a restaurant serving locally sourced produce, and cultural and exhibition spaces linked to the Cité du Vin. The aim is to open this site, which has long been closed to the public, without betraying its nature. The intervention is deliberately measured and reversible: no formal excess, but rather an enhancement of the existing structure through the contrast of materials—stone, metal, and glass—and the discreet insertion of new uses. Mezzanines, technical floors, limited openings in the façade: every gesture is designed to preserve the balance of the place.