The mighty mushroom columns of the former wine warehouse are the most striking elements of the existing building and form the starting point of the design. In order to keep their effect tangible despite the small-scale nature of the new residential use, they are exposed and emphasised in various ways: Their bulky monumentality is an experience in itself in the flats, which lie at right angles to the direction of the building – in the sequence, they can be felt in the two «rues intérieures» (inner streets) that run lengthways through the building.
The columns also form the starting point for the internal organisation of the building: although the actual urban planning is set by the existing building, in a way, a city within the building is created along the inner streets. They not only provide access to the stairwells and the communal laundry rooms – above all, they also enable a variety of flat typologies for all generations and lifestyles. On the mezzanine floor, the inner street opens up into the entrance halls and links the domestic sphere with the urban sphere via stairs and ramps – the commercial spaces and the café are located at the ends of the building, and much more orientated towards the city. The upper end of this network of paths is formed by the common room and the collective roof terrace.
Esch Sintzel Architekten
