ZAC Massena Housing

The ZAC Massena project interlinks the rigidity of the Avenue de France, the railway landscape, the entrance to the adjacent Ivry suburb and ultimately the transition from a horizontal city to a vertical one. The Avenue de France is very rigid; with rather uniform offices and shops of more or less same height. Hamonic+Masson wanted to break the pattern and inject a breath of fresh air into the area with their project. The stacked apartments, the metal envelope and the natural finishes all contributed in setting a landmark. The result is a remarkable building which questions the formality of the surrounding structures.