Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura

The Belvedere St. Christophe is the sublimation of years of research and innovation in the social housing sector. The units have become perfectly efficient functional layouts with double orientation to optimize sun exposure, cross-ventilation and view variation. The elements are geometrically assembled with a classical theatrical opulence that evokes the magical sacralization of a democratic urban space built with government subsidies. The grandiosity of the main colonnade inspired by the work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, reflects a stunning classical sense of balance, harmony and human proportion; the scale moves rapidly from the individual to the collective in a grandiose civil landmark. The horizontal axis are perfectly choreographed to bring the pedestrian into the plaza. Then, a major monolith –the public Belvedere by Dany Caravan- leads the way to the river Loise. The monumental character of the plaza has turned it into a meeting place for the residents and the venue for all kinds of recreational activities. The programme includes three hundred eighty apartments and commercial establishments.

Program 380 apartments and commercial establishments.

Ingineering: Yves Serra

Concrete: J. P. Aury

Client foyer du fonctionnaire et de la famille (fff) and sodes Paris

Gross area 31,000 m2