Damiers de Bretagne

The Damiers de Bretagne building, comprising 90 apartments, is part of the Damiers real estate complex. In all, 640 apartments are spread over four buildings. Although they differ in size, they were all designed according to the same pattern: the stepped layout typical of the 1910s, which made a comeback in the 1960s thanks to the liberation of constraints.

The problem of densification was solved by the installation of an exclusively pedestrian slab that concealed a parking lot with almost 2,400 spaces. The pyramid-shaped volumes facilitate natural lighting right down to the lower levels reserved for local shops. The 25,000 sq.m facades are adorned with prefabricated concrete panels with a circular hollow and relief pattern.

A word about the architects

Comrades of the Zavaroni workshop at the École des Beaux-Arts de Paris, Jacques Binoux and Michel Folliasson joined forces in 1960. Their agency quickly became one of the leading agencies in France, signing major facilities as well as housing and offices. The duo was notably in charge of the Paris-Pleyel business centre in Saint-Denis.

Originally from Istanbul, Abro Kandjian founded his agency in 1936. One of the most prolific in post-war Paris, he became naturalized in 1942, the birth date of his son, with whom he became associated in 1970.

The four architects designed a large part of the Seasons district with the Allianz-Neptune tower, the Damiers, the Citadines residences, Fraser Suites Harmonie and the Ibis and Novotel hotels.