LOUVRE POST
OFFICE
PARIS
FRANCE, 2012-2021
WORK PLACE
PR–607
Built at the end of the 19th century by architect Julien Guadet, the Louvre Post Office is a monumental industrial masterpiece, perfectly integrated into the Haussmannian streets of Paris’s first arrondissement. Designed from the outset with astonishing modernity, the structure combines a stone wall surrounding the block with a modular internal metal framework, like a giant Meccano set.
MEDIAS
036
PROGRAM
The renovation of this heritage building, designed and built by architect Julien Guadet (1834-1908) during the Third Republic, modernizes the activities of the historic post office located within the block and provides space for offices, social housing, shops, and a five-star hotel with a rooftop offering views of the Eiffel Tower.
Situation
1st arrondissement, Paris, France
Year
2012–2021
Status
International competition, winning project
Site area
8 240 m²
Built-up area
50 069 m²
Project management
SCI Tertiaire mixte, Poste Immo, Paris
Project implementation
Dominique Perrault Architecte
Chief Architect of Historic Monuments
Jean-François Lagneau
Interior architect and design
Gaëlle Lauriot-Prévos
Landscape architect
Après La Pluie
Engineering departments
Calq Architectures, Edeis, RPO, Jean-Paul Lamoureux
DESCRIPTION
This architectural malleability becomes the driving force behind its transformation: the once hermetic block is now permeable, allowing the city to infiltrate it: public space invites itself inside thanks to a network of arcades, porches, and galleries, directly inspired by Parisian passages. The transformation of the Louvre Post Office embodies the change from a monofunctional, closed block to a vibrant place with a new mix of uses.
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