OFFICE 317

The transformation of an iconic modernist building in Paris anticipated not only its renovation but also the reorganisation of its entire urban setting. The office building, a 180m-long slab, sits above Montparnasse train station, facing the square and Montparnasse tower. It also encloses a park to the rear, which was built over the railway tracks and remains largely inaccessible. The intervention envisioned the replacement of the existing glass-clad facade to improve energy efficiency and the reinforcement of the load-bearing structure to allow for a gradual extension of the lower floor slabs into balconies. The slanted section defines a new silhouette and a generous base for the building, so the double-height ground floor can become more public and porous, with the main entrance organised through a garden above the train station. The new garden and the existing park thus form a continuous green space. In addition, an incision with escalators in the base of the building enables direct access from the lower street level to the park. The stark and somewhat sequestered building is opened up not only to the people who work in it, but to the public at large.