Renovated Tour Racine begins a new life

It was the former headquarters of the ONF in Paris (Office National des Forêts, the National Forestry Office). The 35-metre-high building is very distinctive and was constructed in 1970 by Deschler, Thieulin and de Vigan. Today, the completely transformed complex is unrecognisable thanks to the sensitive intervention of Maud Caubet Architectes.

Strategic in its location, unmistakeable in its form and recognisable in its lines, the Tour Racine has recently been renovated and is a perfect example of good practice. The ageing building, which no longer met current standards, has undergone much more than a simple facelift. Architect Maud Caubet acquired a certain expertise in interventions on old buildings over the years and through her various projects skilfully renovated the headquarters of the ONF. The transformation consists of providing the complex with a multitude of offices and third places as well as shops, an agricultural greenhouse and a vegetable garden. An ambitious programme has been carefully developed to accommodate the services of ‘l’Opérateur de Compétences des Entreprises de Proximité’ (OPCO EP), the Operator of Skills for Local Businesses. This is a semi-public training organisation, whose users will benefit from this freshly revamped location.

The Tour Racine is located in the heart of the 12th arrondissement of Paris, in a residential neighbourhood in the immediate vicinity of the Sorbonne Nouvelle. In this part of the city, which has long had a symbiotic relationship with agriculture, a strong presence of nature seemed legitimate. The cylindrical structure stands in the middle of the plot of land, located at the crossroads of Avenue de Saint-Mandé and Rue Picpus. The architecture of the tower is typical of the 1970s, as is the treatment of its surroundings. Maud Caubet wanted the artificialised soil to be made productive again. This is evidenced by the originally designed tiered garden, which takes on meaning through the extension intelligently linking the basement and the first floor. The work carried out for this purpose emphasises natural materials and an attention to detail that enhances the presence of the old and provides it with new spaces that are both useful and pleasant.

With the aim of restoring generous, light-filled spaces for use as offices and meeting rooms, it was decided to transform the two levels of the car park that once occupied the five basement floors. This was a delicate, but daring gesture that has generated a twelve-metre-deep atrium with flowing lines that redevelops the new spaces opening onto the terraced garden. Like an ethereal stole, the contemporary extension wraps itself around the building. We witness a supple and airy movement that mimics the shape of the tower and gives a nice nod to the organic growth of plants. One could call it a metaphor that gives a certain dynamism and also panache to the existing grid architecture.

Architectural reuse and recycling are one of the challenges facing the city today. Maud Caubet brilliantly addresses this issue in the renovation and extension of the Tour Racine. The cleaning and various treatments of the concrete panels that make up the facade are among the processes that have protected, improved and prepared the existing structure for the years to come. Here, the architectural act consists not only of preserving the city, but is above all about saving resources. The same method has been applied to the interior, where certain elements have been dismantled to be reused in the creation of designer furniture or other fittings. Energy standards and accessibility have not been neglected, quite on the contrary, as the design is intended to be able to change use according to future requirements. The repetitive grid and the position of the vertical circulation in the structure allow for complete reversibility of use. In the future, and depending on the intentions, the tower can become either an apartment building, a hotel, or both. In an era of changing habits, such a project is not only timeless but also adapts to the evolution of the city.

In order to incorporate a greenhouse into the structure, Maud Caubet replaced the former penthouse on the 10th floor with a wooden frame. An educational urban agriculture unit and a café, both accessible to all users of the building, enhance this wooded space, which offers a spectacular view of the surroundings. Thus, users of the premises can relax there, feeling for a short time as if they are in the middle of nature while being in a Parisian residential neighbourhood. Nevertheless, it should be remembered that the envelope of this greenhouse is clever, organic and luminous. It is made up of glass panels that help to cool or warm the spaces when necessary. Interior blinds can also be activated to obscure certain parts of the roof. Everything has been designed to respond favourably to the various current issues by anticipating the future. Thus, the Tour Racine begins a new life full of promise!