Atelier 11 Cité Falguière Rehabilitation Project
During the 2023 National Architecture Days on the theme “Architecture and ecological transition”, discover the architectural project of transitioning the 19th century artist atelier into an International Arts Research Residency, while renewing its cultural heritage in an ecological way.
Built in the 1870s, Atelier 11 is a historical artist studio and residence in Paris, France, that has housed working artists for over 150 years, and is the lone remaining active studio of the original group of studios at Cité Falguière in Montparnasse.
As Paris implements net-zero standards city-wide, the Atelier 11 restoration and renovation project aspires both to decarbonize the existing building and to protect, restore, and amplify its long-standing artistic and cultural legacy.
The design features a number of strategies that together make this possible—beginning with the re-use of the existing building. It will preserve and highlight the building’s existing timber structure, while any new construction will be of lightweight wood. Reclaimed materials found in the original atelier will be re-used whenever possible. To improve energy usage, a high-performing envelope will be achieved by repairing and insulating the exterior walls, and restoring and replicating original windows as energy efficient ones. Overall energy consumption will be further reduced by using double-flow ventilation with heat-recovery, allowing for and promoting natural cross-ventilation, optimizing natural daylight, and installing energy efficient electric systems, lighting fixtures, and appliances. Should there be any shortcomings in the building’s performance once operational, provisions will be made to allow for installation of solar panels on the roof. Finally, the use of natural gas will be completely eliminated and replaced with electric heating. This is especially meaningful considering France has a highly decarbonized energy grid.
Beyond energy efficiency and low carbon solutions, this project seeks to recapture and sustain the Atelier's artistic heritage—it will feature a fully restored front exterior facade, traditional limewash painted wall finishes, and red terracotta floors that echo the original use of the atelier as a studio for sculpture production as well as the colour scheme to the atelier’s exterior, immortalized in the vivid painting of one of its most eminent former residents, Chaïm Soutine.
A recipient of Mission Patrimoine 2022, Atelier 11 Cité Falguière is scheduled to reopen after the restoration in 2024/25, fully transitioning from a historical artist studio into an International Arts Research Residency. Once restored, the building will continue to function as an artist residence, studio and exhibition space, nurturing the next generation of artists and thinkers. The revived Atelier will embody the promise of a future that celebrates, adapts, and harnesses existing structures to attain climate resilience.
Initiated by associations L'AiR Arts and Cité Falguière in collaboration with artists, cultural professionals and their growing network of volunteers and supporters, this project is lead by a transatlantic collective of architects: gh3* (Toronto, Canada) and TNT Architecture (Paris, France), with the advice of Studio Gang (USA/Paris), FREAKS (Paris, France) and a heritage architect from Fondation du patrimoine.
