MEF - Maison Edouard François

Urban Collage

Urban Collage
© Paul Raftery
Urban Collage
© Paul Raftery

URBAN COLLAGE

Edouard François

ARCHITECTS
Edouard François

PHOTOGRAPHS
Paul Raftery

AREA
9000.0 m²

YEAR
2012

LOCATION
Champigny-sur-marne, France

CATEGORY
Apartments, Social Housing

Text description provided by architect.

At Champigny-sur-Marne, respect of the context and the refusal to interpret it led us to take a unique position. 

Urban Collage
© Paul Raftery
Urban Collage

The site is a grand ensemble that was built in the 1970's : a large zone of housing filled with towers and multi-story housing blocks near the old town center.

The program asked for an urban renewal plan based on a new town center with shops and housing.

Urban Collage
© Paul Raftery
Urban Collage
© Paul Raftery

Assuming that the city is a complex body, we superimposed elements found on site: townhouses at the base, a housing block from the 1950's in the middle, and on the roof, single family homes. 

We organized them as archetypes to be read from bottom to top. 

Urban Collage
© Paul Raftery
Urban Collage
© Paul Raftery

The complexity of this project lies in the vertical superposition of these structural elements, shifting the three typologies independently.

Beyond the creation a new retail shops,, the perception of centrality is also reinforced by the creation of numerous entries, gateways, lines of sight, and alleys that open the block to passers-by.

Urban Collage
© Paul Raftery
Urban Collage
© Paul Raftery

These anchor the project in its context. The townhouses have separate entries from the sidewalk. Their copper, zinc, and tile facades complete the scenography.


Urban Collage
© Paul Raftery
Urban Collage
© Paul Raftery


Urban Collage
Courtesy of Edouard François
Urban Collage
Courtesy of Edouard François


Urban Collage
Courtesy of Edouard François
Urban Collage
Courtesy of Edouard François

MEF - Maison Edouard François
T +33 1 45678887 F +33 1 45675145
MEF - Maison Edouard François
7 Pass. Thiéré, 75011 Paris, France