This project consisted in adding a vertical extension to a modernist building in Paris, recognized for its heritage value by the Commission du Vieux Paris.
Designed in the 1950s by architect Jean de Mailly in accordance with the principles of Modern architecture, the elegant white-concrete building stands within the interior of an urban block, discreetly set back from the street. Given its architectural typology, we expected to find a flat roof terrace with concrete parapets at attic level. Instead, it was topped by a pitched roof made of a wooden frame and metal sheeting. Our clients wished to remove this unexpected roof in order to build a vertical extension to the building, adding a new floor to their apartment below.
To avoid the need for reinforcing the existing structure, the vertical extension was constructed entirely in midnight-blue steel and aluminum, carefully engineered to match the weight of the original roof. This shade—already present in the building’s original metalwork—was chosen to ensure the best possible integration of the new structure within De Mailly’s architectural composition. The vertical and horizontal elements forming the extension were also designed to continue the distinctive geometric rhythm of the original façade.
Since local urban-planning regulations (PLU) permitted only a very slender addition, the extension was designed to fit precisely into the narrow space between the elevator headhouse and the imposing party wall of the neighboring building. The project also included the creation of a rear terrace as well as the full interior refurbishment of the apartment across its two levels. Text description by the architects.
