Transformation of an industrial site from 1907 into a mixed-use public building

The Docks of Paris were built in 1907 as an industrial warehouse for the port of Paris. The structure is one of the first reinforced concrete buildings built within the capital. The concept of the new project is known as a “plug-over”. Here, the idea was to create a new external skin that is inspired primarily by the flux of the Seine and the promenades along the sides of the river banks. A new envelope composed of a light metallic structure and glass, named the “plug-over”, creates a new identity for the existing structure. The “plug-over” creates a new exterior skin that protects the existing concrete structure while proposing a new envelope for the ensemble of new program and public circulation within the building. The “plug-over”’s accessible rooftop provides a new public space over the river. The structural system that supports the new skin is generated through the systematic deformation of the existing building’s structural grid. The “plug-over” allows not only to maximize the building’s envelope, but also establishes a fluid and continuous public space. The project extends the public promenades of the Seine River, elevating them above the water up onto the large panoramic terrace on the building’s rooftop, later descending onto the riverbank, creating a loop that integrates the building within its context. Pedestrian links between Paris’ 13th district and the Seine River are interlinked with the building, further integrating the building within its context. The building houses a program dedicated to fashion and design, including the French Fashion Institute (IFM), spaces for exhibitions and events, shops, bookstores, cafés and restaurants. At night, lighting designed in collaboration with Yann Kersalé further emphasizes the