Firm： Chatillon Architectes

Type： Commercial › Office

STATUS： Built

YEAR： 2021

Photos： Antoine Mercusot (7)

INTERIOR LAYOUT OF A MEETING PLACE IN AN EXCEPTIONAL BUILDING

In the middle of the Cold War, the RTF (French television and radio) center was inaugurated in Paris in December 1963 by General de Gaulle. It was built like a fortress able to emit sounds under any and all circumstances. The architect Henry Bernard drew the most famous "pie chart" in the capital, whose circular organization makes it possible to create studios in the shape of trapezoids - key for ideal resonance. This extraordinary building, with more than 50km of corridors, is a strategic place of communication that has been preserved from external gazes, noise, and vibrations. Nicknamed the "Lady of the Quai de Passy", the Maison de la Radio was listed as a Historic Monument in 2018, and in 2021 became the Maison de la Radio et de la Musique.

Following its “20th Century Heritage” label in 2016, it has become a priority to highlight all the architectural qualities of this iconic work. We were commissioned in 2018 to design a restoration and interior design project corresponding to current needs and offering more comfort to users of the former cafeteria, which was located in a dark and difficult-to-access space. Our project had to reconcile several objectives: create consistency between the space and its use, as well as restore the original majestic and ergonomic atmosphere of the site, all while allowing the historical mosaic of Gustave Singier -which we restored in the same year- to express itself.

Initially located in the agora, the cafeteria is now situated in the artists' foyer in order to benefit from natural light and to create a space open to the outside. Our project is integrated into the premises, with an emphasis on perspective, emptiness space , daylight, and the unique architecture of the room, offering an average of 5-meter-high ceilings. The central furniture piece and the bar kiosk, designed with the 1960s building in mind, re-utilize the vocabulary of that period, drawing inspiration from materials already present from the start. The volume of stainless steel, clear mineral resin, and smoked larch, with a slightly arched shape and rounded angles, perfectly matches the contours of the circular building in which it is installed.

The conversion of the artists' foyer into a cafeteria has made it possible to exploit this space -which until then had been little used- in order to offer a new convivial spot to the users of the building.