The building was shaped like ‘bundle of sticks placed on the ground that branch out like open, protective arms' explain the architects of the overall form.
French studio Atelier du Pont has designed an office for Santé Publique France, the French public healthcare agency, and the structure has been nicknamed ‘Woody'; quite fittingly so, given that the building is made entirely out of timber.
The new office, located at the edge of the Bois de Vincennes, draws its inspiration from the nature of the nearby public park (the largest in Paris). The architects worked on a composition that highlights the use of wood. The same material is featured everywhere from frame to floors, ceilings and walls, including an impressive cascading central staircase and bespoke furniture throughout.
The overall shape feels light and porous, conceived to appear ‘like a bundle of sticks placed on the ground that branch out like open, protective arms,' explains the team. ‘This design symbolizes the mission of this institution, which oversees the health of everyone who lives in France.'
RELATED STORY
The design promotes a pleasant environment and wellbeing for its employees. The natural and recyclable construction procedures and materials used are all free of solvents and plastics; the staircase not only looks spectacular, but has also been strategically placed to encourage people to climb up it, instead of taking the lift; and common areas were created to foster interaction and socialising.
The building includes workspace, but also several cafes spread across the various levels, as well as a restaurant. Meanwhile large terraces outside allow the activity inside to spill out towards the surrounding gardens with views over the wooded park.
INFORMATION
-
The Park: step inside Jeremy King's mid-century dinerOne of several 2024 openings from restauranteur, Jeremy King, food critic Ben McCormack books in at The Park
-
Six brilliant bars for your 2025 celebrations, hot off the Wallpaper* travel deskWallpaper’s most-read bar reviews of the year can't be wrong: here’s inspiration for your festive and new year plans, from a swanky Las Vegas lounge to a minimalist London drinking den
-
Misfires and Monstrosities: three vehicular design disasters that show taste is in retreatFrom a multi-million dollar piece merchandise to a wretched Rolls-Royce, these are the low points of the year in transportation design
-
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
-
A transformed chalet by Studio Razavi redesigns an existing structure into a well-crafted Alpine retreatThis overhauled chalet in the French Alps blends traditional forms with a highly bespoke interior
-
La Grande Motte: touring the 20th-century modernist dream of a French paradise resortLa Grande Motte and its utopian modernist dreams, as seen through the lens of photographers Laurent Kronental and Charly Broyez, who spectacularly captured the 20th-century resort community in the south of France
-
Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain unveils plans for new Jean Nouvel buildingFondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain has plans for a new building in Paris, working with architect Jean Nouvel
-
Discover Tempe à Pailla, a lesser-known Eileen Gray gem nestled in the French RivieraTempe à Pailla is a modernist villa in the French Riviera brimming with history, originally designed by architect Eileen Gray and extended by late British painter Graham Sutherland
-
At Lee Ufan Arles, tension and calm guide relationships between space and artLee Ufan Arles opens in the south of France, a collaboration between the famed Korean artist and Japanese architect Tadao Ando
-
A new era: Centre Pompidou architects discuss their bold 2030 plansPlans 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
-
The Grand Paris Express, Europe’s largest urban design project, is en route to successThe 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
