The Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé holds the archive of one of the film industry’s oldest firms. The foundation’s headquarters have been inserted as a new core in a triangular block in Paris’s 13th arondissement. The entrance facade, which is on the historic preservation register, was restored with great care. Behind it a glazed reception space presents a view of a garden courtyard and the organic forms of the main building. The latter rises up on just a few columns above a glazed ground storey. It docks onto the neighbouring buildings via the stairway and the three snout-like protrusions.
Accordingly, the garden courtyard and the neighbouring buildings are supplied with plentiful fresh air and sunlight. In addition to the archive rooms, the building contains exhibition space, a screening room for silent movies with piano accompaniment, and, beneath the glass roof of the two upper levels, the offices of the foundation employees. The glass roof is made up of three layers: arched glue-laminated-timber beams, the glazing, and perforated aluminium louvers as external solar control. The cross section of the wood beams changes in response to the span; hinged steel feet transfer the forces to a circumferential steel profile. The glazing is supported by curved circular hollow sections that also serve to stiffen the load-bearing structure.
No two of the double-glazed panes, which were double-curved by means of hot-bending, have the same form. The external solar protection keeps the interiors from overheating. But there’s another reason: if the panes were to become too hot, the glass might break. The curved, perforated aluminium louvers are mounted on an aluminium supporting structure.
Accordingly, the garden courtyard and the neighbouring buildings are supplied with plentiful fresh air and sunlight. In addition to the archive rooms, the building contains exhibition space, a screening room for silent movies with piano accompaniment, and, beneath the glass roof of the two upper levels, the offices of the foundation employees. The glass roof is made up of three layers: arched glue-laminated-timber beams, the glazing, and perforated aluminium louvers as external solar control. The cross section of the wood beams changes in response to the span; hinged steel feet transfer the forces to a circumferential steel profile. The glazing is supported by curved circular hollow sections that also serve to stiffen the load-bearing structure.
No two of the double-glazed panes, which were double-curved by means of hot-bending, have the same form. The external solar protection keeps the interiors from overheating. But there’s another reason: if the panes were to become too hot, the glass might break. The curved, perforated aluminium louvers are mounted on an aluminium supporting structure.