189 Rue de Vaugirard

Studio Other Spaces´ facade installation transforms a late–1960s modernist building on Rue de Vaugirard into a dynamic, light–responsive artwork. Originally designed by architects Antony Lucien Bechu, Jean Bidault, and Maurice Guillaume, the building was conceived as a purely modernist structure—rational, clean, and an aesthetic that prioritized function over place. 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 exists within a unique spatial condition: visible from multiple vantage points, framed by the open park in front. This distance, this pause in the dense urban fabric, allows for a different kind of presence. Today, the building is undergoing a transformation, one that seeks to reconnect it to the pulse of Paris, to its immediate surroundings, and to its own rich history. 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, an openness that is now mirrored on the exterior. At its core, the facade is designed to breathe—to expand and contract in relation to light, movement, and perspective. The windows are fitted with a 30 cm mirrored band at the bottom of the glass railing, visually dissolving the structural presence of the lightweight balconies and creating the impression that the floors extend beyond their physical boundaries, floating above Paris.

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 serve as more than mere ornaments; they are lenses—objects that shift in appearance from day to night. By day, their mirrored surfaces reflect light, creating the illusion of full spheres and dissolving the balconies structure. At night, the glass domes and exterior mirror panels activate the facade, casting a soft, atmospheric glow that enhances the architectural rhythm. 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 not only about light—it is also about color. The building´s 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—a direct reference to the color variations found in freshly brewed beer. This gradient is echoed within the building´s interiors, where the floor colors reference the historical shades of the Eiffel Tower, from its original reddish–brown to its contemporary bronze. Just as the Eiffel Tower´s colors have evolved over time, so too does the facade of this building.

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.