“Voie des Suisses” might sound like a street in Switzerland. Actually it is right here in Paris. It is home to a remarkable architectural project. This project was designed by Herzog & de Meuron. The renowned team realized their first project in Paris here.
Let’s delve into the story of this unique site. It is located in the 14th Arrondissement. This is not far from Gare Montparnasse. The Paris public housing agency sponsored a competition in 1966. The competition resulted in this innovative housing complex.
The complex sits on three interconnected parcels. These include infill sites. The sites are on two sides of a long perimeter block. They face a long narrow plot. This plot is on the interior of the block. The infill buildings rise to seven floors. This matches the neighborhood height. The interior slab is only three floors high.
Notice the entrance to the block’s interior. It lies beneath the infill buildings. The long narrow block stands freely in a garden. It is protected by curved rolling wooden blinds. These contrast sharply with the folding metal blinds. The metal blinds cover the street-facing facades.
Beneath the infill block is a basement parking area. It holds about 50 cars. The parking extends into the courtyard under the interior building. In total the three buildings house around 60 flats.
The street buildings use a point-access design. The larger block overlooks Voie des Suisses. It has several apartments per floor. These apartments face either the street or the garden. The narrow block on Rue Jonquoy has only one flat per floor. This flat faces both the street and the garden. The long narrow building also uses point access. Several entrances serve three floors of larger flats.
Ground floor apartments feature living spaces and bedrooms. They face a narrow porch along the public walkway. A narrow one-story zone contains baths and kitchens. This zone attaches to the back of the long block. It forms small interior courtyards. Baths, kitchens, and circulation are organized along the rear. This serves the flats on the upper floors. Continuous balconies face southwest. Living spaces open onto these balconies.
Two-story high gable-roofed small houses stand opposite the main entrances. They face the garden. These cottages help maintain a residential scale. Vines climb on metal wires. The wires are fastened to the garden buildings’ blank walls. This creates an overgrown ambience.
The garden block sets back slightly from the ground. It features an articulated base. This suggests a porch or veranda along the walkway. Roll-down blinds completely cover the porch areas. The raised setback provides some separation. However ground floor apartments lose some privacy. Upper balconies cantilever. This forms an undulating quality that softens the garden spaces.
The seven-story block faces Voie des Suisses. It has undulating facades. These face both the street and the interior garden. The curved facade eases the transition between buildings. It emphasizes the metal shutters. These shutters cover windows between floor slabs. They create a continuous screened surface. These folding grilles have become a signature element. They are a leitmotif of Herzog & De Meuron designs.
Closed shutters form a continuous grille. This grille matches the color of the shutters. Perforated aluminum panels make the hinged shutters. Steel rods support them. The panels are finished in a durable dark gray coating. A narrow balcony separates the shutters. It separates the floor-to-ceiling glass wall. Groups of six panels extend forward. This creates discontinuous vertical bands. The bands give a structural appearance. The facade has compressed layers of materials. The shutter system continues to the sixth floor. The top floor sets back. It has roll-down metal blinds. This reinforces the attic appearance.
Voie des Suisses offers a glimpse into innovative urban housing. It showcases Herzog & de Meuron’s distinctive style. It is a testament to thoughtful design. This design considers both residents and the surrounding environment.