Location: Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, France.

Architect: Studio Fuksas.

The New National Archives of France is a complex designed to enhance the geographical and architectural landscape of the area Pierrefitte sur-Seine Saint Denis. It is composed of two main “bodies”: one that extends horizontally, “suspended, lightweight, transparent” and the other with a tension in height, “anchored to the ground, imposing, reflective”. The project is composed of two main “bodies”: one that extends horizontally, “suspended, lightweight, transparent” and the other with a tension in height, “anchored to the ground, imposing, reflective”. The water veil is a vehicle of change for the architecture, designing voids and new spaces. Antony Gormley’s artwork is between the monolith and the “satellite” volumes.

Pascal Convert’s concrete “strongboxes” are set in front of the “satellite” volumes. Susanna Fritscher’s art intervention emphasizes the interaction between the architecture and the lines of the “satellite” volumes. The entrance leads to areas dedicated to the public, such as the reading room, exhibition room and conference room. Fuksas architects’ chair “Carla” for Poltrona Frau is a measured, minimalist shape. The interiors are characterized by large spaces that give an overview of the place.

Florence Mercier’s landscape intervention creates a real interaction between nature, architecture and the audience. The green walk introduces and takes the visitor to the complex, creating an identity that is rooted in the memory of the past with an eye to the contemporaneity and the future.

Photo credit: Yves Bellier.