House Vieux Colombier

Apartment Renovation in Paris

  • Categories Residential
  • Status Completed
  • Year 2020-2021
  • Location 6th Arrondissement, Paris
  • Area 135 m2
  • Collaborators Atelier PA
    SME construction

Located within a traditional Haussmannian building in Paris, this renovation reinterprets the apartment through a series of carefully inserted architectural elements while preserving the qualities that define the existing dwelling. Original mouldings, oak herringbone flooring and the generous proportions of the historic rooms are carefully restored, allowing the character of the apartment to remain at the forefront of the intervention.

The original layout consisted of a succession of enclosed rooms connected by a long corridor. Rather than simply opening the plan, the project introduces an independent central volume that accommodates storage, bathrooms and technical spaces within a compact architectural core. Wrapped in a reflective Dibond skin, the volume extends to define the apartment’s entrance, where its mirrored surface softens its visual presence by reflecting the surrounding architecture and natural light.

The intervention is shaped by movement rather than rigid geometry. Soft angles and gently curved corners replace conventional ninety-degree junctions, allowing the central volume to embrace the surrounding spaces and guide circulation naturally through the apartment.

Throughout the apartment, bespoke architectural elements replace conventional partition walls to define the different domestic functions. Positioned between the dining room and the living area, the kitchen is conceived as an independent architectural element, where a white steel structure and oak cabinetry subtly separate the two spaces while preserving visual continuity and natural light. An open shelving system extends this language into the adjacent circulation space.

In the principal bedroom, a bespoke furniture element organises the transition between the sleeping area and the en-suite bathroom. Supported by a slender white steel frame, the wardrobes appear suspended above the floor and detached from the ceiling, defining the different functions while preserving the continuity of the historic space.

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