Blvd Magenta, Paris 10

The volumes under roof already had a strong character and gave the apartment a charm sought by the owner. The desire to develop these volumes by natural raw materials, not to compete with the curves that shape housing.

The apartment is located in a typical Parisian building on Boulevard Magenta. It is located at the 5th and is built between four small courtyards. It is open to the sky above. This apartment originates from the conversion of two which had been subdivided into service rooms during the construction of the building. The apartments have been fully renovated, brought up to standard and redesigned spatially and aesthetically.
The position of these attic spaces high up and benefitting from a distant view encouraged us to design additional intakes of light involving the creation and the enlargement of the windows. Old-fashioned skylight windows have been replaced by larger roof windows. A French window has been enlarged and the existing windows have been restored. As a result of the works, the owner can today enjoy the view of the rooftops of Paris from each of the rooms that make up the apartment. The exterior carpentry work has improved the insulation of the apartment. Cork insulation also contributes to better thermal comfort. The multiple ducts of the apartment were laid down where possible and resumed structurally in order to clear maximum surface areas and to incorporate built-in furniture against the walls.
The plan of the apartment consists of spaces whose complex geometry has meant a custom compositional work.
The volumes under roof already had a strong character and gave the apartment a charm sought by the owner. The desire to develop these volumes by natural raw materials, not to compete with the curves that shape housing. All carpentry work was done in natural birch panels and protected by a transparent matte varnish to echo the old parquet present throughout the apartment. Two low benches with drawers intrude in the recesses of the apartment that do not have enough height to stand up. These two areas for resting or reading create intimate spaces that play with the volumetry of the apartment and enjoy a direct light or a view of the sky. In the kitchen, the original tiles have been preserved. The polished concrete of the worktop contrasts with the wood of the cupboards and affirms its horizontal as a worktop. It becomes a generator of use in the heart of housing.
The view can extend through much of the apartment and out of the strict limits of the apartment.