david chipperfield completes mixed-use complex morland mixité capitale in paris

Morland Mixité Capitale completed by david chipperfield berlin

After six years of design and construction, David Chipperfield Architects Berlin has completed the mixed-use complex Morland Mixité Capitale in the center of Paris, France. Originally built in the 1960s by architect Albert Laprade, the ensemble has been refurbished, remodeled, and extended, with the aim to transform the previously introverted establishment into a lively, space with an open campus-like character. The official opening of the premises will take place on June 22, 2022.

all images © Simon Menges

transforming the closed-off complex into a lively destination

Situated on the banks of the river Seine, the former ‘Préfecture de Paris’ served the city’s population as an administrative building for decades. The pre-existing complex comprised a 16-story tower bordered by two 9-story wings, with its closed-off form and repetitive façade grid making for an overall unapproachable exterior.

In 2016, the team at David Chipperfield Architects Berlin (see more here) and the French developer Emerige (see more here) won the Call for Projects ‘Reinventer Paris’ for the complex. Their concept involved its transformation into an open destination that is accessible to the public and can positively affect the entire neighborhood.

a passage of vaulted arcades

The new ‘Morland Mixité Capitale’ is the result of the renovation, remodeling, and extension of the 1960s buildings. Two structures have been added to the complex facing the boulevard and the River Seine and mediating between the scale of the pre-existing construction and the surrounding urban environment. The new volumes are raised above the ground to create a new public axis that provides a passage from the boulevard to the River Seine.

Load-bearing, vaulted arcades articulate this passage at ground floor level, creating an interesting visual contrast to the stringent column grid of the existing ensemble. The arcades generate an inviting entrance to the campus, ushering passers-by into the interior of the complex.

ensuring urban continuity and sustainability

The renovation by David Chipperfield Architects preserves a large percentage of the original building in order to ensure both urban continuity and sustainability. Showing great respect to the existing fabric, the structures were repaired instead of being replaced wherever possible. In addition, low energy and resource consumption are ensured by an energy cycle based on heat exchange and a closed phyto-purification system for urban gardening on the roof.

The complex accommodates a wide range of functions including upscale and affordable housing, a hotel, a youth hostel, offices, retail, a gallery, a food market, and a childcare facility. The two top floors, which were only accessible for a few years following the completion of the original building, are now open again for the public to enjoy. Boasting panoramic views of the French capital, these upper levels house a bar and a restaurant, as well as an inhabitable art installation by Ólafur Eliasson and Sebastian Behmann from Studio Other Spaces Berlin.