Rue Dézobry is a quiet side street in central Saint-Denis, north of Paris, which is mainly lined by four to five-storey, 19th century residential buildings, but, among other things, also a former industrial building with boarded-up windows. In order to take action against these abandoned properties, the community initiated a refurbishment scheme several years ago, allocating government funds for the restoration and reconstruction of numerous residential buildings in the city centre.
The six-storey, multi-unit dwelling designed by JTB Architecture is part of this city district refurbishment. It replaces a dilapidated, single-storey building, which has not had any legal residents for some time. The design for the new-build has been inspired by historical Parisian archetypes: townhouses with mansard roofs, tall rectangular windows and foldable metal shutters. In this case, the entire building envelope is made of painted sheet steel panels so that the street-facing facade turns into a uniform white surface when the shutters are closed. There is a kink at the upper edge of the facade to accommodate the different eave heights of the neighbouring buildings.
The six-storey, multi-unit dwelling designed by JTB Architecture is part of this city district refurbishment. It replaces a dilapidated, single-storey building, which has not had any legal residents for some time. The design for the new-build has been inspired by historical Parisian archetypes: townhouses with mansard roofs, tall rectangular windows and foldable metal shutters. In this case, the entire building envelope is made of painted sheet steel panels so that the street-facing facade turns into a uniform white surface when the shutters are closed. There is a kink at the upper edge of the facade to accommodate the different eave heights of the neighbouring buildings.