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.
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
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).
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
A new era: Centre Pompidou architects discuss their bold 2030 plans
Plans for the Centre Pompidou 2030 vision were recently announced, revealing a design refresh of the iconic Paris structure; we caught up with its lead architects Moreau Kusunoki to hear more
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
The Grand Paris Express, Europe’s largest urban design project, is en route to success
The Grand Paris Express is a system of new rapid transit lines across the French capital, with each station designed by a different architect – and it's currently under construction
By Amy Serafin Published
-
Take an exclusive tour of La Main, LVMH Métiers d’Art’s new Parisian HQ
LVMH Métiers d’Art’s new Parisian HQ, La Main, brings together modern minimalism and historical charm in a building that celebrates craft
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Grand Palais restoration in Paris through the lens of champion fencer Enzo Lefort
As Paris’ Grand Palais prepares to reopen following extensive restoration by Chatillon Architectes, we visit the site with champion fencer and photographer Enzo Lefort, who documented the space ahead of the Olympic Games 2024
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Dip into the Paris pools and swimming culture enriching the 2024 Olympic Games
Paris pools, in the Olympics and beyond, have inspired fun, wellness and a love of sports in the French capital
By Ellen Himelfarb Published
-
Jean Prouvé’s House of Better Days on show at Galerie Patrick Seguin in Paris
The Maison Les Jours Meilleurs, or House of Better Days, by Jean Prouvé is explored in a new show at Galerie Patrick Seguin in Paris
By Harriet Thorpe Published
-
Hauser & Wirth Paris by Laplace is a winning restoration in the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2024
Hauser & Wirth Paris by Laplace sees the architectural agency named Best Restoration Kings, breathing new life into an 1877 hôtel particulier near the Champs-Elysées
By Amy Serafin Published
-
Inside artist Loris Gréaud’s Paris studio, a concrete bunker by Claude Parent
French artist Loris Gréaud invites us into his light-filled, bunker-like studio, the final project of late architect Claude Parent – watch the exclusive film
By Amy Serafin Published