Last edited 08 Dec 2020

UNIC, Paris

On 20 May 2016, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo revealed the design plans for UNIC, architectural firm MAD’s first residential project to be constructed in Europe.

Located in Clichy-Batignolles, a newly-developed neighborhood in Paris, UNIC is next to Martin Luther King Park and the courthouse designed by Renzo Piano which is currently under construction.

Having won the project through an international design competition in collaboration with local French architects Accueil – Biecher Architectes, MAD founder and principal partner Ma Yansong, said:

“We worked closely with the local government, city planners and local architects in a series of workshops to ensure UNIC is a creative and iconic residential project united with the community.”

After winning the competition, MAD participated in a series of workshops to explore topics from the macro-scale urban plans to micro-scale details, such as sustainable community development, resource sharing, energy management, and population demographics.

Facing Martin Luther King Park’s10-hectare green space, UNIC will enjoy abundant neighborhood natural spaces.

Accentuated by sinuous floor plates, each asymmetrical level tapers slightly as the building ascends to create dynamic spaces within. The floating and ‘upward-growing’ form responds to an organic scheme.

With UNIC, MAD has attempted to blur the boundary between architecture and nature through variable-stepped terraces which extend the green space from the park into the vertical space of the building and provide space for residents to interact with nature.

With a height of 50 m and 13 storeys, the building’s upper floors will boast panoramic views of the surrounding city and the Eiffel Tower.

The building design incorporates a simple double core structure and bare concrete façade, both of which showcase its elegance and simplicity.

UNIC’s podium is conjoined with an adjacent public housing project and provides direct access to the Metro infrastructure and community resources including a kindergarten, retail spaces and restaurants. The resulting design hopes to enhance everyday community relations among a diverse socio-economic neighborhood.