189 Rue de Vaugirard

189 Rue de Vaugirard Paris 2023-

Studio Other Spaces' facade installation transforms a late 1960s modernist building on Rue de Vaugirard into a dynamic artwork. Originally designed by architects Antony Lucien Bechu, Jean Bidault, and Maurice Guillaume, the building was conceived as a purely modernist structure with rational, clean, and aesthetic elements. It now houses contemporary office spaces, reflecting the evolving character of the 15th arrondissement. The facade design responds to this transformation by introducing elements that enhance both the spatial qualities of the structure and its dialogue with the city. Set slightly back from the street, the building is visible from multiple vantage points, framed by the open park in front. The challenge was to breathe life into a structure that once stood as a self-contained statement and to open it up, both physically and perceptually, to the city beyond.

situation

process

The intervention is built on a simple principle: the facade should be an extension of the experience within. From every floor, the building offers an astonishing panoramic view over Paris. The experience of the building is as much about perception as it is about physical space. The design plays with depth, dissolving mass, and extending the interior into the city. The windows are fitted with a mirrored band at the bottom of the glass railing, that visually dissolves the structural presence of the lightweight balconies. It creates the impression that the floors extend beyond their physical boundaries, and float above Paris. The city, in turn, becomes part of the building itself, its reflections captured and distorted in endless variation.

Scattered across the facade, hand-blown glass domes introduce a second layer of transformation. Positioned both within the office interiors and beneath the balconies, these elements are more than ornaments; they are lenses that shift in appearance from day to night. By day, their mirrored surfaces reflect light, creating the illusion of full spheres. At night, the glass domes and the exterior mirror panels activate the facade, and cast a soft, atmospheric glow that seems to emanate without origin. The city, in turn, becomes part of the building itself, its reflections captured and distorted in endless variation.

The transformation of Rue de Vaugirard 189 is also about colour. The buildings historical identity as a Biére Moritz brewery, informs a subtle chromatic narrative woven into the facade. From bottom to top, the suspended glass domes shift from deep amber to golden yellow. This is a direct reference to the colour variations found in freshly brewed beer.

The facade is a living surface, an interplay of reflection, transparency, and illumination, constantly transformed by shifting daylight and the movement of those who pass by. It gives the building an ever-changing presence, a facade that is never static but instead pulses with the rhythm of the city.

Client: Theop
Location: Paris, France
Date: 2023-

Collaborators:
ArtEngineering
Studio Barthelmes
Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
L.A.M studio
Elioth by Egis
Dumez
Sedri
Scyna 4