A residential timber tower by Moreau Kusunoki in Paris blends minimalism and sustainability
Fast emerging French-Japanese studio Moreau Kusunoki completes a residential timber tower in Paris, making a departure from the norm in large scale housing

Moreau Kusunoki's new residential timber tower in Paris marks a clear departure in multi-family housing design, but its point of difference may not be immediately apparent. Set in a newly established residential centre at the southeastern end of Paris, it forms part of an emerging landscape of towers, and spans some 50m high and includes more than 70 homes. Its volumes, in clean, orthogonal, minimalist architecture, are defined by a strict grid, which gives the whole an element of monumentality and lifts the eye upwards. So far, so normal. Yet upon close inspection, this grid is not made of concrete, nor clad in stone, as often is the case in similar works. This is a high-rise made entirely out of wood.
A residential timber tower: the idea
'The grid, legible on the façade, comes from the idea of the inhabited wall and it is used as a filter to keep the growing, densely built urban environment at a distance,' its architects write in a statement. Stylistically, the studio founders enjoy displaying their office's blended background in their work – often mixing a pared-down approach, working with natural materials, especially timber, and creating strong, highly contextual geometries in their designs.
Meet the architects: Moreau Kusunoki
Hiroko Kusunoki and Nicolas Moreau set up their joint practice in 2011, following stints at Kengo Kuma and Kazuyo Sejima's offices. Their small, Paris-based practice grew fast and now they have an outpost in Australia, an award-winning proposal for the Guggenheim Helsinki, and several big projects, both new and ongoing, under their belt. Among them is the Sciences Po’s new university campus in the centre of Paris, the National Lighthouse Museum in Brest, and the Powerhouse Parramatta Museum in Sydney, Australia.
In this residential timber tower, aesthetics and structural necessities meet, with the building's exposed structure taking centre stage, in charred and pre-weathered wood forms. High ceilings, large openings and access to the outdoors in every apartment highlights the studio's attention to the living spaces within. This extends to the smallest details, such as the door handles, which were designed bespoke by specialist maker Izé.
Meeting high environmental standards, the projects contains 77 housing units, alongside several, airy shared spaces, a ground floor art gallery, and a restaurant on site.
The project merges architecture and landscape 'in a simultaneous and intertwined way, so as to offer a greener, more human and ecological city of the future', the architects write.
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
ALT Paris is a chic and fast-growing jewellery brand to know
The brand, which has just opened its second Paris boutique, has mastered the art of luxurious minimalism
-
Rediscover a classic midcentury hotel in Sydney
Fender Katsalidis leads a major renovation of the landmark Sofitel Sydney Wentworth hotel, pairing 1960s modernism with an elevated, Australian-minded reset
-
Haute Couture Week A/W 2025: what to expect
Five moments to look out for at Haute Couture Week A/W 2025 in Paris (starting Monday 7 July), from Glenn Martens’ debut for Maison Margiela to Demna’s Balenciaga swansong. Plus, ‘new beginnings’ from JW Anderson
-
The Grand Palais is a Parisian architectural feast, emerging from a mammoth restoration project
The Grand Palais reopens, unfurling its spectacular architectural splendour, meticulously restored by Chatillon Architectes – take a tour
-
Surrealist townhouse Villa Junot lights up Montmartre – and it’s for rent
We go inside Montmartre’s Villa Junot, a former composer’s home reimagined by interior design studio Claves, where surrealism meets art deco splendour
-
A Venice sneak peek into the new Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain by Jean Nouvel
A new home for Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain by Jean Nouvel will open later this year in Paris; in the meantime, the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 offered the perfect platform for a sneak preview of what's to come
-
Stay in a Parisian apartment which artfully balances minimalism and warmth
Tour this pied-a-terre in the 7th arrondissement, designed by Valeriane Lazard
-
The museum of the future: how architects are redefining cultural landmarks
What does the museum of the future look like? As art evolves, so do the spaces that house it – pushing architects to rethink form and function
-
Paris’ architecturally fascinating Villejuif-Gustave Roussy metro station is now open
Villejuif-Gustave Roussy is part of the new Grand Paris Express, a transport network that will raise the architectural profile of the Paris suburbs
-
Explore wood architecture, Paris' new timber tower and how to make sustainable construction look ‘iconic’
A new timber tower brings wood architecture into sharp focus in Paris and highlights ways to craft buildings that are both sustainable and look great: we spoke to project architects LAN, and explore the genre through further examples
-
Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain unveils plans for new Jean Nouvel building
Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain has plans for a new building in Paris, working with architect Jean Nouvel