Constructed in 1957 by architects Arsène-Henry Brothers, this old building was once a shipping exchange and is part of the river heritage of Paris and the Seine. 

The Maison is part of a series of buildings forming an urban façade that overlooks the

Seine, and this strategic location between the river and its quays offers exceptional views.

Since m...

Constructed in 1957 by architects Arsène-Henry Brothers, this old building was once a shipping exchange and is part of the river heritage of Paris and the Seine. 

The Maison is part of a series of buildings forming an urban façade that overlooks the

Seine, and this strategic location between the river and its quays offers exceptional views.

Since mid-January 2013, the renovated building has been home to the Bassin de la Seine regional headquarters of France's navigation authority, Voies navigables de France (VNF). 

A new identity through a return to transparency

Jean-Baptiste Lacoudre's approach involved working with the original concept created by

Arsène-Henry Brothers "in the spirit of understatement and simplicity" to rediscover the building's original transparency, lost to various alterations over the years.

In 1970, for example, the ceiling of the Exchange Room was raised, creating an outer extension that appeared heavy and overbearing. Exterior stairways and a footbridge were also added, and the stilts were blocked in to create a road tunnel beneath the building.

Today, the building enjoys a new balance between tradition and modernity. The "pastiche" façade has been removed from the original building with its expansive rows of windows, and replaced with a new, more open, more celebratory façade.

Bow windows have been added to the previously windowless north gable end, providing a direct

view over the Seine. All the non-original walls have been knocked down, to reveal the original building and its stilts.

A variety of spaces

The ground floor lobby leads off to different spaces within the building: the reception area, utility areas (mail, bins, security monitoring room), the central stairway and the glass lift.

The building also holds 300 m2 of office space, plus two meeting rooms in the former Exchange Room.

Energy performance

Sustainable development is a constant priority for Jean-Baptiste Lacoudre. The air inside the building is cooled without the use of electricity, via an adiabatic cooling system. 

Heaters are located within the hybrid ceiling, helping to reduce energy consumption through careful temperature moderation and heat recovery.