[ BP Architectures ] Paris children Hospital’s cases

Architects: BP Architectures (member of PLAN01)
Location: Paris, France
Client : Trouseau Children Hospital
Project Area : 360 sqm
Project year : 2009
Photographs: Luc Boegly

The initially program ask to install 3 emergency staircases on the Trouseau Children Hospital main building. The context of this children hospital in the center of Paris is an extraordinary accumulation of architectural layers : some pavilions dating back from the end of the 19th century, a main building dating back from the crazy 70’s, a recent additional maternity hospital, new fronts for the 70’s building. And now 3 new emergency staircases which were to be plug quickly on the 70’s building

But : 8 levels + 15 sqm surface and 33 m high = a challenging volume.
Repeating an identical object on 3 places of the building is an interesting project for architects who like generating surprise.

Indeed the 3 tours staircases designed by BP Architectures are very obvious. They succeed in giving unity to this particularly fragmented landscape through their solid, strong and repeated presence.

These 3 huge objects hung on the 3 faces of the building have an amazing size, an amazing shape and a fascinating « aura ».

They might console the ill children using this building and distract them from their pain. Those stairs become « towers of assault » and mix a middle age atmosphere with science fiction references. Their outfit changes from brilliant totems (when the rays of sunshine touch them) to dark, enigmatic and lightly frightening presences. Anyway, they are very familiar figures for children.

The disproportion between effects involved and result reached is impressive. It is the trade mark in the architectural projects BP Architectures agency. In fact, the 3 architectural objects are very simple : staircases are made out of metal and galvanized steel. The walls are build up out of triangular shaped panes fixed to each other on 3 points variating in a deep of 30 cm according to an advanced algorithm.

This very minimalistic variation in the combination generates a impressive volumetry which simply depends on the sun and on the situation of the viewer.

from  archdaily