Casa Maître Albert

Renovation of an Attic Apartment in Paris

• Categories Residential
• Status Completed
• Year 2022-2023
• Location 5th Arrondissement, Paris
• Area 82 m2 floorplan | 32 m2 mezzanine
• Collaborators Atelier PA
  SME construction
  

Set within the attic of a Parisian building, this renovation transforms a fragmented interior into a coherent living environment while preserving the qualities that define the apartment: its generous volume, abundant natural light, and exposed timber roof structure.

The existing apartment comprised a large living and dining area, a separate kitchen, three bedrooms, and an office distributed between the main floor and a mezzanine level accessed by two independent staircases. While the apartment already benefited from a remarkable sense of openness and luminosity, the existing layout offered only one shared bathroom and a separate WC. The brief called for a reorganization of the dwelling to provide three bedrooms, including two en-suite master bedrooms, while preserving the apartment’s distinctive spatial character.

The intervention began with the complete demolition of the existing mezzanine and the construction of a new steel structure carefully inserted beneath the existing roof. Conceived as a lightweight architectural infrastructure, the new intervention reorganizes the apartment through a series of interconnected elements: two redesigned staircases, a suspended gallery overlooking the living room, integrated storage, and new service spaces. One staircase remains in its original location, while the second is repositioned parallel to the new mezzanine volume, becoming an integral part of the spatial composition. The gallery serves as a shared intermediary space that provides independent access to the two mezzanine bedrooms while preserving their privacy and maintaining visual continuity across the double-height living area.

At the lower level, the kitchen is opened to the living space and conceived as one of the central elements of the project. Bespoke walnut-stained joinery volumes accommodate storage, bathrooms, and technical functions, helping to organize the apartment while preserving the openness of the main living area. Above, perforated steel floors and balustrades allow light and views to pass through the new construction, reinforcing the perception of the double-height volume and strengthening the relationship between the different levels of the apartment.

Throughout the project, the existing timber trusses remain exposed and visible. Their material presence contrasts with the precision and lightness of the new steel structure. A restrained palette of white-painted steel, warm timber joinery, microcement, oak flooring, and bespoke furniture contributes to a cohesive material language throughout the apartment.