Residential building Biscornet | France
31 juli
Project: Residential building Biscornet, Paris // France
Architect: BFV Architectes, Paris // France
Fabricator: Sunclear, Paris // France
Installer: Leore du groupe GTM // France
Façade system: Riveted/Screwed
Year of construction: 2024
Product: ALUCOBOND® A2 anodized look C32
Photos: Sergio Grazia
Trapezoid not traditional
A residential building as an urban statement: the Ilôt Biscornet does not act as a buffer for its residents against the bustling city; it turns to face it. It overlooks the busy Place de la Bastille, where the French Revolution began in 1789. Ignacio Prego and Jean Bocabeille from BFV Architectes designed the seven-storey building, which comprises 14 social housing units and a gallery. Instead of the typical sleek wedge format like the Flatiron Building, the irregular trapezoid geometry of the glass-fronted building engages with its surroundings and makes the best possible use of every metre on the small 176m² trapezoid/ irregular oblong shaped plot.
Horizontal slats on the blinds characterise the frontage facing Place de la Bastille; on the sides along Rue Biscornet and Rue de Lyon, the emphasis is on a vertical orientation. Clad in ALUCOBOND®, the façade gleams in tones of mustard yellow, thunder grey and copper gold, depending on how the light falls. Meteorological conditions are not the only factor which influence the façade’s appearance, the residents also play a part. They can slide sections of the façade sideways revealing windows framed in mauve, pink and orange, reminiscent of an opened Advent calendar. Like its surroundings, the building never looks the same, it is always in motion, sometimes open and communicative, sometimes silent and withdrawn.
A total of 800 m² Anodized Look C32 ALUCOBOND® A2 panels were riveted to the façade. ALUCOBOND® was chosen for the renovation project because, unlike the previous structure which had required refurbishment early in its lifecycle, ALUCOBOND® provides a lasting, durable new façade with energy efficiency qualities and recyclability. Its properties of high resistance to fire, weathering and corrosion were also important factors in the selection process.
While the façade material stands for longevity and durability, the building shape conveys, first and foremost, dynamism. The unconventional folded floor plan with triangular jutting bays hovers above a glass base and stands out from the rest of the streetscape. The building extends into the open square like the bow of a ship, and the zig-zagging white concrete pillars at the base also seem to propel the structure forward like stylised waves. The building seems to make the statement “standstill is not an option.”