In 2011, the SFL group, owner of the building complex entrusted Philippe Chiambaretta with the design and development of an ambitious restructuring project for office space. Consisting of three buildings, the Richelieu cluster has undergone a major redevelopment to create a high-end business center around flexible and modern platforms equipped with prestige services. The final touches are still being added at #Cloud.Paris, but this 38,000 sq m office complex, located within walking distance from the Bourse and Opéra Garnier, is already almost fully let.
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Since the beginning, #Cloud.Paris was a major architecture and design challenge. The proposed project from PCA is one of the first buildings in France to aim for triple HQE/BREEAM/ LEED certification for sustainability.
Architect Philippe Chiambaretta, the principal at PCA – STREAM and the design brains behind the project, describes the site as a constellation of buildings from different periods, with obsolete technical infrastructure, narrow shapeless courtyards, and three ‘blind’ underground levels.
This needed to be transformed into an attractive property for an extremely demanding workforce. After all, recent surveys show that the Millennials want to work in the city centre rather than business parks – so much so that they are likely to reject a job that lacks in workspace quality. As a result, everything had to be rethought in the office property world; from location and size, to optimising rental costs through highly flexible designs.
SFL and Chiambaretta did not shy away from a bold approach. Bright white facades maintain the original grid while creating a crisp contemporary rhythm. The main entrance is located in the meticulously restored historic part of the facade.
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