Monumentality and Transparency

Linking the Place Vendôme to the Opéra, the thoroughfare enjoys an exceptional location in the heart of Paris, close to the Golden Triangle and shopping districts, perfectly embodying the Haussmann style so dear to Paris. It also creates a remarkable perspective toward the bed of the Seine, which can be glimpsed behind the column of the Place Vendôme and the greenery of the Tuileries Garden. Walking along it is essentially strolling through a whole chapter of the capital’s history. The rehabilitation project for 12 rue de la Paix could not ignore the prerogatives of this remarkable setting. Thus, the existing structure was sublimated through a skillful blend of the old and the contemporary. While the street-facing facade recovers its 1830s character through subtle restoration of the original ornaments, new glazed elements now converse with the original stone in the heart of the block. They thus generate a new facade whose resolutely modern pleating recalls the Art Deco anchoring the building experienced in 1926.

The project also aims to restore a certain programmatic clarity and fluidity of use that successive architectural modifications had gradually erased. The two courtyards were thus “cleared” of cumbersome architectural extensions and now accommodate two footbridge elements that create connections between the bodies of the historic buildings, while increasing the program’s usable floor area.