The headquarters of the Pathé Foundation in Paris by Renzo Piano

The Italian architect Renzo Piano has, in addition to his Genoa office overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, had a second studio for many years in the artistic district of Le Marais, behind his most famous realization, Centre Pompidou, which helped kickstart the career of the then-unknown duo Piano + Rogers in the 1970s.
Piano's current build for the Jérôme Seydoux Pathé Foundation fits into the historical inner courtyard much better than the colorful hi-tech Georges Pompidou center. With its gray coloring, it merges into the rooftop landscape of city blocks defined in the mid-19th century by Eugène Haussmann. Its organic form, however, resembles more of a colossal worm (the authors prefer to compare it to an “ovoid shape”) that has emerged from the urban inner courtyard.
The project's initiator is Jérôme Seydoux (*21.9.1934, Paris), the 39th richest Frenchman, a descendant of the banking family Schlumberger, and also the vice president of the Pathé film company operating 72 cinema halls across France. The new headquarters of the Pathé Foundation is meant to provide a grand shelter for managing and sharing film heritage. Piano's organic design connects two buildings in the 13th arrondissement of Paris. The 26-meter-high structure tries to conduct an “open and physical dialogue” with the surrounding buildings.
Moreover, the ground level of the historical facade of the building facing Avenue des Gobelins has been made more accessible to the public so that visitors can better reach the “caterpillar” in the courtyard. In the basement of the new object is an intimate screening room. The upper floors contain archives of the foundation, spaces for temporary exhibitions, offices, and an impressive meeting room. Despite the confined conditions, the architects found enough space to create a small garden in the courtyard. The aluminum panel cladding is perforated in some areas, allowing light to illuminate the rooms without the need to place additional windows in the facade, which would disrupt the cohesive appearance. Conversely, at night, this gray object can glow pleasantly.

More information >