The Place Montrouge

New urban heart south of Paris

Located near Porte d’Orléans, the Vache Noire district in Montrouge (Hauts-de-Seine) attracts young professionals and numerous companies, who choose to build their offices there due to its proximity to the capital and the wide range of nearby shops. Situated at 134-136 Avenue Aristide Briand, The Place adjoins the iconic Vache Noire shopping center and stands out as a strategic address thanks to its location and access to major public transport routes such as Metro Line 4, RER B, and, by 2024, the future Metro Line 15. This prime location set high expectations for the new office building, which was intended to support the renewal and dynamism of this rapidly developing district. The street-corner building, delivered in April 2023, was acquired by GCI and its partner, Credit Suisse Asset Management, from Kaufman & Broad, Idevi, and Palladio Promotion. Construction was entrusted to Bateg, a subsidiary of VINCI Construction.

The challenge: enhancing the dynamism of Vache Noire and introducing new ways of working

In addition to the sustainability requirements aiming for BREEAM Very Good, HQE Excellent, and Effinergie+ certifications, the specifications called for optimizing shared spaces and maintaining “standard” dimensions. But how could an office building on an enclosed site meet new ways of working, combining summer comfort, natural light, and green spaces while addressing future environmental challenges? The proximity to Avenue Aristide Briand and the Place de la Vache Noire also required high acoustic insulation for the exposed façades. The architectural response from Agence A Bechu et Associés combines functionality, efficiency, and aesthetics. The Place spans 10,147 m² across 8 levels, with floor plates ranging from 870 to 1,400 m², accommodating 900 workstations. Users are at the heart of the project, benefiting from over 1,000 m² of shared spaces on the garden and ground floors around a hall that extends into a garden foyer. Facilities include a restaurant, fitness room, bike club, and multipurpose rooms for on-site events. Workspaces open onto 1,000 m² of terraces and gardens, offering an outdoor promenade that rises from the garden level to the fourth floor, bypassing the ground floor. 119 underground parking spaces are provided. The Place offers comfortable, modular, and bright volumes designed to support new ways of working and foster employee creativity. Maintaining standard grid dimensions of 1.35 meters and a 5.5 meter depth on the office floors was a design challenge due to the complex T-shaped geometry of the site. “Providing standard dimensions under these conditions was a constant concern,” explains Mounir Soubaï of Agence A Bechu et Associés. The building consists of two large intersecting stone monoliths, with the hall located at their convergence, aligned with views of the gardens. A large wall of backlit photographic planes echoes this theme and amplifies it within the hall. Mounir Soubaï adds: “We wanted to highlight the proximity to Paris by drawing inspiration from the classic layering of Parisian façades: a base encompassing the first floor, four upper floors, and a crowning element. The stone cladding the façades and the metal crowning emphasize this reference. At the corner, the openings are concentrated, superimposed, and project outward toward the square.” The corner bow-windows posed a technical challenge in the design and execution of the exterior joinery.

From standars to custom

Based on recommendations from AR-C Engineering, SERALU installed joinery modules composed of WICLINE 65 strip frames, on a 1.35 meter by 2.80 meter grid. These modules combine single-leaf French-style openings and fixed frames over glazed spandrels, with a motorized woven fabric blind hidden behind the top rail, aligned with the interior face of the frame mullions. The entire assembly is integrated into a steel sub-frame placed flush with the stone cladding or render. Four module typologies, composed of 1, 2, 3, or 4 strip frames, were designed by the architect to rhythmically articulate the façade. Two custom profiles were developed to provide increased structural stiffness, facilitate the operation of the opening sash, and conceal the blind casing, notes Denis Gallois from AR-C Engineering.

WICONA systems used

Windows WICLINE 65 evo

Windows WICLINE 75 FP

Doors WICSTYLE 65

Doors WICSTYLE 77 FP

Façades WICTEC 50