Palais de Tokyo was chosen by our directors in 50 Architects 50 Buildings, as an inspiring building which has impacted their work. Dating back to 1937 with a total surface area of 236,806 sq. ft, it was renovated in both 2002 and 2012 by architects Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal.
First familiarised with their work over twenty-years ago, we decided to visit their office during our trip (pictured left) to exchange ideas about well-being and discuss approaches to producing cost effective, spacious homes.
“Giving more space gives more quality of use, better quality of life, and improves human relationships. It is very important to make a building in which users can find freedom.” – Anne Lacaton
The exhibition on at Palais De Tokyo that weekend was ‘On Air’ by Tomas Saraceno, investigating new ways to explore the relationship between humans and their environment.
“There are clear parallels with our TNG Youth Centre, which is primarily about providing a positive, vibrant, and inclusive space that users can take ownership of.”
We also went on a tour with Guided Architects Paris, around the Clichy Batignolles area which is currently undergoing intense redevelopment.
We learnt that majority of architects secure projects through design competitions rather than master-plans by local authorities. This was evident as there was a strong lack of coherence between buildings situated in close proximity, where it felt as though the aesthetics overshadowed more significant factors such as social value.
If you want to find out more about where RCKa explored in Paris, take a look at our GoogleMaps itinerary.