Eqho

Built in 1988 by Fernando Urquijo, Giorgio Macola and Jean Willerval, EQHO was completely restructured in 2013.

For the architects of the renovation, B. Hubert & M. Roy, openness was the key word of the new project. Opening up the building to light, opening up to the city, opening up to gardens... through ambitious architectural choices and opening up to life through exemplary programming.

It is this choice of openness that has dictated the design of the new building by:

• Restructuring the superstructure work spaces so that they offer 95% of the surface area in the first day;
• Completely rethinking the programming of the premises to integrate a varied range of 5* service and relaxation areas on the same site, including a 330-seat private auditorium, a 1,300-square-meter fitness area, numerous restaurants, a premium hospitality service, fully equipped bicycle rooms, a garden and terraces, etc.

Thanks to a proactive and voluntary environmental approach, EQHO has obtained numerous high-level labels and certifications: BREEAM Very Good, BREEAM In Use Excellent, NF HQE Sustainable Building Focus Excellent, NF HQE Sustainable Management Focus Exceptional and Effinergie.

A word about the architects

Gino Valle (1923-2003) is one of the most important figures of post-war Italian architecture. A disciple of Carlo Scarpa and Walter Gropius, he was most influenced by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. Mainly active in the region of Venice, he joined forces with Giorgio Macola, with whom he designed the Palace of Justice in Padua and the Giudecca apartments in Venice.

In 1985, the duo opened an office in Paris with Fernando Urquijo, an Argentine architect known for the IBM architecture program. They led the renovation of the Edouard VII block in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. In La Défense, the team is working on the Allianz Acacia building and the Sofitel La Défense. Fernando Urquijo and Giorgio Macola also participated, with Jean Willerval, in the construction of the Eqho tower for IBM.