atelier du pont unveils 'the docks' aparments in saint-ouen eco-district, paris

‘the docks’ eco-district is part of a major revitalization project for a 100 hectare area between the river seine and the boulevard victor hugo in the suburb of saint-ouen, north of paris. set to hold 9,000 square meters of new building space over the next 20 years, its significant industrial heritage provided inspiration for the construction of this 90-housing unit building designed by french architecture firm atelier du pont.

the docks development is set to hold 9,000 square meters of new building space over the next 20 years

located next to the former alstom industrial hall, which is itself in the process of being renovated, atelier du pont’s 6,270 square meter development draws on the considerable history of the area. it was inspired by the powerful and imposing concrete buildings of the early 20th century, to which it has added striking dark orange footbridges and metal stairways. to the north along the parvis des bateliers — across from the new parc des berges de seine — the building asserts its verticality and height. to the south, the stories descend in indented steps, refining the overall volume and allowing for light to penetrate the core of the block.

lacquered ‘boxes’ made from perforated metal stretch out from the building to shape its silhouette, creating large outdoor spaces with views of the surrounding landscape. at the ground level, a private passageway crosses through the center of the block leading to a landscaped garden area.

lacquered ‘boxes’ made from perforated metal stretch out from the building to shape its silhouette

the development follows a loose palette of grey, orange and white and is punctuated on almost every level by planted terraces. on the sixth floor, a large shared vegetable garden, wrapped in an envelope of wood paneling, is open for use to the inhabitants of the building. at a time when local consumption has become a necessity as the open surfaces of our cities continue to dwindle, atelier du point regards such community-focused sustainable green space as essential. the docks eco-district development is part of the broader grand paris project, which sees a number of key urban centers around the city receive sustainable, large-scale development intended to bolster the region’s economy and employment with a view to maintaining and strengthening the greater paris region’s position among the most attractive international cities.

the storeys descend in indented steps, refining the overall volume and allowing light to penetrate to the core

the development follows a palette of grey, orange and white and is punctuated on every level by planted terraces

 
the docks comprises a 100 hectare area between the river seine and the boulevard victor hugo

view of the shared rooftop vegetable garden with slatted wooden envelope

atelier du point regards such community-focused sustainable green space as essential

the docks eco-district development is part of the broader grand paris project

the project sees a number of key urban centers around the city receive sustainable, large-scale development

the eco-district comprises a 100 hectare area between the river seine and the boulevard victor hugo

project info:

program: 90 housing units, shared rooftop vegetable garden and businesses
address: the docks ecodistrict, 93400 saint-ouen (france)
surface: 6,270 m² (net)
cost: 8,300,000 € (pre-tax)
completed in: may 2015
client: nexity féréal
urban redevelopment company: sequano
architect: atelier du pont
project manager: boris mihaylov
interior designer: aline defert
team: scyna 4 (structure), cardonnel (fluids), laurence jouhaud (landscape designer), socotec (control), gaëtan le penhuel (coordinator ilot h1), cotec (execution contractor)
images by: frédéric delangle, takuji shimmura, + atelier du pont

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: peter corboy | designboom