- info@parsalandco.com
- +989124000464
- +989127093613
Menu
A pair of hill-like buildings define Ascension Paysagère, a French housing project that Dutch architecture studio MVRDV has created on the riverside in the west of Rennes.
Designed in collaboration with local studio ALL, the 10,550-square-metre complex contains a mix of apartment types to accommodate “a variety of income levels”, MVRDV said.
Architects: MVRDV
Area : 10550 m² Year : 2022
Photographs :Ossip van Duivenbode
Manufacturers : AGROB BUCHTAL
MVRDV, along with co-architects ALL for real estate developer Groupe Giboire, has completed Ascension Paysagère, a residential complex at the confluence of two rivers in the west of Rennes, France. Occupying a crucial transitional space between the Rennes’ center and its outer reaches, the 12-storey, 8,200-square-metre complex brings much-needed density in the context of the city’s outward growth, providing 138 homes in a variety of sizes and price ranges – including 37 units of social housing – as well as commercial spaces and pleasant new public spaces in a green waterside environment.
In 2018, the French magazine l’Express called Rennes the most liveable city in France, and, combined with the arrival of a new TGV connection in 2017, this attractiveness has led to continued population growth. The many heritage buildings in the city’s center have shifted this expansion pressure outwards, requiring the periphery to grow either outwards into the countryside or – preferably – upwards with a pleasant approach to densification. Positioned precisely where the Ille River joins the Vilaine, across from the green floating park of the Jardin de la Confluence, at the end of the now- pedestrianized thoroughfare of Mail François Mitterrand, Ascension Paysagère’s highly visible location required an exemplary approach to this perimeter densification.
Ascension Paysagère takes inspiration from geological formations. The project comprises two curving buildings, one large and one small, with gradually receding slopes. By the river, and at points where the project approaches its neighbors, the buildings are low, acknowledging the expansive, low-rise context. Elsewhere, however, the design gradually steps up into three peaks, reaching the maximum 12-story height in the center of the site. The terraces created by these gradual step-backs are decked with pots filled with greenery, extending the lush atmosphere of the riverbank upwards to the apartments even at the very top of the building. On the western corner of the larger block, in between the building’s two ‘peaks’, a garden including fruit trees emphasizes this green approach.
The façade reinforces the connection to geology. It features both matte and glossy ceramic panels in five different tones of grey, arranged into stratified layers: dark and mostly matte near to ground level, and lighter and glossier at the top levels. At night, lighting reinforces this effect, with more lights integrated into the ceramic panels at the top of the building. As a result, the design seems as if it truly belongs – an outgrowth of the environment itself, which feels natural even as it significantly densifies this part of the city.
Every apartment is provided with outdoor space – either a terrace, a balcony, or a loggia. Each of these comes complete with custom plant pots fitted with automatic irrigation as well as a dedicated water tap to help residents care for their piece of the landscape.
The terraces create a village-like atmosphere that allows residents to greet their neighbors above and below. At ground level, the curves of the buildings define a series of public spaces, with a green pedestrian street between the two blocks and a plaza at the water’s edge that leads to Le Bacchus, a restaurant and theatre that is embraced by the curve of the larger building. The entrances to the larger building are found in three inviting, wood-clad passages that punch through the building, creating generous meeting spaces and providing views and access to a secluded garden at the rear of the theatre restaurant. At the entrance to the site a former renovated tax office is included in the urban plan, making the public square a mix of three architectural periods.
The project uses a variety of approaches to ensure sustainability and social responsibility. Densifying an urban area reduces the city’s need to expand into the surrounding landscape, and the parking garages include a total of 210 square meters for bicycle parking, including dedicated spaces for cargo bicycles and electric charging stations to encourage more sustainable transport options. The 34 apartments in the smaller building are completed to Passivhaus standards, giving them the potential to use dramatically less energy than typical apartments. Many of the apartments are double or even triple aspect, with windows on multiple sides of the building to allow cross ventilation and excellent natural light conditions inside.
A diverse range of apartment types is spread throughout the building, including 37 homes for social rent and 42 for sale as affordable housing, ensuring that the project offers something for people of all income levels and family sizes. The communal spaces in the buildings feature high-standard finishes and are open to all residents, treating every occupant equally regardless of the price or type of their apartment. With the green surroundings, the location on the water, and the beautiful outdoor spaces, Ascension Paysagère is poised to further add to the liveability of Rennes and can serve as a demonstration of how the city can meet its current housing demand.
Ascension Paysagère is located on a site beside a park where the Ille River meets the Vilaine and provides 138 homes over the two terrace-covered buildings.
MVRDV and ALL created the project for real estate developer Groupe Giboire with the aim of supporting the city’s population growth.
One big and one small, the two buildings at Ascension Paysagèr both feature staggered facades that ascend to form the three peaks.
The low-lying parts of the buildings are positioned closest to the river and existing buildings. Meanwhile, its tallest areas, which reach a maximum of 12 storeys, are positioned at the centre of the plot.
“In Ascension Paysagère, we have delivered a project just as we hoped it would be, and exactly what is needed in this location”, said MVRDV founding partner Nathalie de Vries.
“With the river and the park opposite, the site offers a wonderful location for people to live.”
De Vries said that the aim of designing the housing “without destroying” the natural qualities of the site led the studio to create a complex that mimics geological formations.
“We do this by creating an ensemble of two buildings with silhouettes like small hills, covered with terraces and balconies to allow the inhabitants nice outdoor spaces that are already provided with large pots for plants and trees.”
According to MVRDV, the choice of site in the city’s outskirts was prompted by the outward growth of Rennes.
This is the result of an expanding population but also the presence of many heritage buildings in the city’s centre, preventing new developments there.
The hilly city of Rennes in France is known for its universities. Students and young adults make up a majority of its population—60 per cent of its 710,000 citizens are below 40 years old. Located 1,5 hours by train from Paris, Rennes recorded the second-fastest metropolitan area growth in France. Thanks to a balanced mixture of activities and spaces, it has been named the most liveable city in France by various polls.
At the confluence of two rivers in the west of Rennes sits the residential complex of Ascension Paysagère. It occupies a transitional space between Rennes’ city centre and its outer reaches. The 12-storey, 10,550-square-metre complex offers density in the context of the city’s outward growth, providing 138 homes in a variety of sizes and price ranges—including 37 units of social housing. The complex also provides commercial spaces and new public spaces in a waterside environment.
Parsaland Trading Company with many activities in the fields of import and export, investment consulting, blockchain consulting, information technology and building construction
