Office building in listed location

Client: UNICIL
Tender : September 1997
Location: Marseille France 

The project’s challenge was to tone the design to a rich historical background. The project consists of a frontage designed specifically for one of the buildings surrounding the place de la Préfecture in Marseille.
The neighbouring buildings are essentially listed buildings. That applies to those overlooking the place, the stately Préfecture building being one of them. The Préfecture stands in the middle of an isolated enclosure in which l’Hôtel d’ Armény also stands. In the distance, yet impart majesty to the immediate background towers the Notre Dame de la Garde Cathedral.
The architectural solution artfully entertains the demands of a thoroughly history laden environment and yet asserts the modern views of contemporary architecture at its best. Key to our concept was the transparency and steeped respect for the historical legacy. This why it garnered enthusiastic acceptance of our client, the users and the residents of the neighbourhood. It has amply evidenced that talent can and will be instrumental in striking the right accords of new and old in historical quarters.