Morland Mixité Capitale / David Chipperfield Architects + CALQ

The former ‘Préfecture de Paris’ on Boulevard Morland is situated on the banks of the River Seine in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The building, which originally housed city administration, was completed around 1960 by the architect Albert Laprade. The existing complex originally comprised a 16-storey tower flanked by two 9-storey wings, which formed a square facing the boulevard. As a consequence of the grand scale and the stringent, repetitive façade grid, the complex had a closed-off and unapproachable appearance, which was also evident in the rather lifeless square.