The Wonderful Tower, located at the entrance of Bagnolet in Paris, stands as a symbol of the New Third World. This groundbreaking project redefines traditional office architecture by revitalizing an outdated industrial site. It offers an exceptional quality of work and life through its bold and dynamic architectural design.
Serving as a bridge between two regions, this project symbolizes the renewal of a vibrant and contemporary district. Its lively architectural style reinterprets the conventional office building by incorporating bold design elements such as sharp lines, voids, daylight-filled staircases, and diagonal forms. These features create striking visual compositions that define both the exterior and interior spaces.
The expansive glass facade acts as a prominent urban landmark for the Bagnolet Gate, while also shielding occupants from the adjacent tree-lined avenue. Strategically positioned exterior staircases run along the facade, freeing up valuable interior space and offering unique panoramic views over the city of Paris.
The Wonderful Building features a terrace that forms a double-layered structure along one side of the tree-lined avenue. A central garden brings fresh energy to the urban environment. Its U-shaped design opens the central space to the city, transforming the office into an integral part of the community’s daily life.
Upon entering the courtyard, lined with lush greenery, visitors are greeted by an interior bathed in natural light. The interior design by Briand & Berthereau Studio emphasizes the use of high-quality materials to blur the boundaries between floors, creating seamless and continuous spaces.
The offices feature a standard ceiling height of 2.9 meters and a wooden structure that accommodates diverse work settings, including creative areas, partitioned offices, open workspaces, quiet zones, and communal spaces. This flexible layout thoughtfully addresses the varied needs and activities of its users.
The design promotes physical activity and social interaction by incorporating outdoor staircases around the building’s perimeter, allowing occupants to enjoy the surrounding views. The outdoor terrace offers sweeping panoramas of Paris, creating an inspiring and exceptional working environment.
Environmental sustainability is central to the project’s design. The exterior walls and wooden structures are built using standardized, prefabricated components, ensuring a cleaner and faster construction process. Each 3,300-square-meter floor can be assembled in just 14 days.
Compared to traditional concrete buildings, the 4,450-cubic-meter wooden structure conserves natural resources and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 2,500 tons, cutting the building’s carbon footprint by 60% over its entire lifecycle.
The Wonderful Building meets high environmental standards, including BREEAM (British Building Performance Assessment System), HQE (Haute Qualité Environnementale), BBCA (Bâtiment Bas Carbone), Effinergie+, and Wired certification. It has also achieved WELL Gold certification.
Connected to the city’s urban heating network, over 50% of the building’s energy comes from renewable sources. It features a 1,340-square-meter terrace, a tree-lined courtyard, and 20% open space. Additionally, rooftop photovoltaic panels generate 500 square meters of renewable energy, surpassing current energy performance regulations.
Wonderful architecture is a living entity, designed as a space where everyone can find their place. To accommodate new ways of working, special attention has been given to ensuring that all areas encourage social interaction and community engagement.
Beyond its iconic design, the Wonderful Building aims to become a landmark of the New Third World, where the quality of life is the highest priority.
Project Drawings
△ Hand-drawn Perspective View
△ General Layout Plan
△ Underground Floor Plan
△ First Floor Plan
△ Second Floor Plan
△ Second Floor Plan
△ Third Floor Plan
△ Fourth Floor Plan
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
△ Elevation Drawing
△ Elevation Drawing
Project Information
Architect: Coldefy
Area: 27,000 square meters
Project Year: 2023
Photographer: © Stéphane Aboudaram | WE ARE CONTENTS
Architectural Team: Thomas Coldefy, Isabel Van Haute, Marc Franco, Zoltan Neville, Mélanie Quetscher, François Chantier, Lucas Dujardin, Alice Huet, Elisabeth Lara, Blandine Roulet, Augustin Roy-Verger, Long Thang
Owner: Briand & Berthereau
Project Management: Builders and Partners
Interior Designer: Novaxia
Wooden Structure: Projex
MEP: Sylva Conseil
Sustainability Consultant: ARP
Landscape Design: Base
Cost Management: DAL
Acoustic Design: Lamoureux
Kitchen Design: SPOOMS
General Contractor: Bouygues Construction
Location: Bagnolet, France
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