Preserving industrial architecture from the 80s, the idea might have seemed incongruous not so long ago. However, this is the point of view that immediately brought together BNP Paribas Real Estate, which piloted the restructuring of the site, and the architect Dominique Perrault, who carried it out. It turns out that Dominique Perrault greatly appreciated the work and the pencil stroke of Claude Vasconi, the architect who had designed the original building known as 57 Métal (workshop number followed by its vocation). And above all, even if the building is not very old, it is the last trace of Renault, facing Île Seguin, in Boulogne-Billancourt.
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“This is the only testimony from one of the largest French industrial sites, explains Dominique Perrault. Nothing remains of this incredible built island that was Seguin Island. Beyond the work of the architect, it was a question of continuing to evoke Renault in this building. This is why it was imperative to keep the sheds of the original workshop, this sawtooth roof emblematic of industrial architecture because it allows uniform natural light to be diffused in the workshop coming from the north. This emblematic roof has therefore been kept but it has been clad in wood on the inside for better soundproofing. The metal framework has been preserved as well as the original concrete posts and 50% of the original building has been rehabilitated, going so far as to reuse the original bricks.
Demonstrator
Incidentally, the renovated site has even freed up a little footprint to offer a little more greenery around. But obviously for such a costly operation to be economically viable, it was necessary to create additional square meters with the addition of a new building in R+7. Result: the current set, renamed Metal57 develops 38,000 m² against 14,000 m² for the original workshop. This is where BNP Paribas Real Estate has chosen to settle and occupies half of the available office space. “But we did not design these places as a head office, it is rather a demonstrator of our know-how and a prefiguration of the city of tomorrow”, would like to point out Thierry Laroue-Pont, CEO of BNP Paribas Real Estate.
And it must be recognized that the place intended to receive in addition to employees many visitors, customers and prospects, perfectly illustrates many of the subjects of concern of the moment and innovation both in terms of uses and architecture. First of all, there is a question of the mix of uses declined in all tones. This notably involves a space of 5,000 m² dedicated to multiple services: catering of course with several brands, but also a gym, a glazed auditorium with 285 seats that can be converted into a reception area or even a business center. And above all, the place is largely open to the city. “We need a mix of uses if we are looking for greater intensity of use”emphasizes Thierry Laroue-Pont.
Car parks open to the public
Concretely, the catering spaces installed on the edge of an interior street connected to the main axes of the district will be open and accessible beyond traditional office hours. The same goes for a bar area located on a high floor and even for the car parks which will be accessible to the public in the evening, in particular to access the nearby musical Seine from the second half of the year. As for the more classic office spaces, they too are designed as “boxes” placed in the envelope of the building, making it possible to multiply the configurations.
Another strong trend: the building combines environmental performance and preservation of biodiversity. We find in particular on the roof terrace a landscaped terrace of 3500 m² alternating sanctuary zones to preserve the fauna and flora, traditional vegetable gardens, beehives and vertical gardens (to illustrate what can be done when one has a small roof surface usable).
On the architectural side, two innovations should be highlighted: the use of micro-perforated zinc and the large-scale use of glazing. In the first case, this makes it possible to keep zinc roofs with a perfect classic and opaque appearance seen from the outside, while the material allows natural light to pass inside without blocking the view. “In Paris, which is keen to keep its zinc roofs, this could open up a lot of prospects”, slips Dominique Perrault towards the town hall of the capital. As for the photochromic glass, the degree of opacity of which can be controlled, it opens up immense prospects for the future according to the architect, who believes that his façade is the largest of this type at present. It makes it possible to dispense with blinds while letting employees control the degree of light filtration from each window using a dedicated application.