Description
Book SynopsisValode & Pistre seem atypical in the world of contemporary architecture. Their bright, cheerful offices on the Rue du Bac in the heart of Paris reflect this nature. It seems quite natural that artists who work with light such as Yann Kersalé and the late François Morellet have been pleased to create installations specifically for these offices because, from their first iconic completed work, the renovation of the CAPC Bordeaux Contemporary Art Museum, the pair have been actively interested in the connections between art and architecture.
Denis Valode says, “We are convinced that the role of the architect is to do more with less and not the contrary. The economy of means—the correct choice of means—is essential. Our goal is to create the best possible result with a certain frugality of means.” Once again, this interest in obtaining the maximum result with a minimum of means leads the architects to note that their approach is particularly well suited to current ecological concerns. Denis Valode and Jean Pistre’s sense of efficiency has proven to be far more durable and better adapted to the demands of contemporary architecture than the many flamboyant styles that have come and gone since they started working together. Their words are in perfect harmony with their ideas—they avoid excessive rhetoric but when they talk about buildings they do so with passion and with clear ideas and methods, often involving their aesthetic sense developed through the world of art.
Denis Valode and Jean Pistre oversee one of the most successful architectural offices in France, working on prestigious towers, hospitals, and research facilities, but also on shopping centers and sports venues. Nor are their projects limited to France—they have worked in China, Russia, and numerous other countries. The pair first worked together in 1978 and created Valode & Pistre in 1980. Today the office employs 200 people and provides interior, architectural, and urban design as well as engineering services. These projects highlight the success of the office in breaking through the barriers that usually separate architects who work on privately funded projects and public ones in France.
Table of ContentsThe correct choice of means: Philip Jodidio Belier Foundry Thomson LGT Factory Bull Group Research Center CAPC Bordeaux Contemporary Art Museum Shell Headquarters L’Oréal Factory Leonardo da Vinci University Air France Headquarters Renault Technocentre, La Ruche Johnson & Johnson Headquarters Paris Expo, Pavilion 4 UGC Ciné-Cité Bercy UGC Ciné-Cité Strasbourg Bretonneau Hospital Bercy Village Triangle de l’Arche Valeo Generic Factories ZB4—The Wilo Building Capgemini University Transpac Renault Technocentre, Le Gradient Paris Expo, Pavilion 5 Initial Tower Havas Advertising Headquarters Crystal Park Opus 12 Tower Las Mercedes L’Oréal Laboratories Biopark Technology Center T1 Tower—Engie Headquarters Hyatt Hotel Yekaterinburg Cinetic Bouygues Technopole Lorient Hospital Lille Main Stadium Beaugrenelle Paris Shenyang Culture Hub Shimao Tower L’Ilo Promenade Sainte-Catherine Clarins Headquarters Beirut Souks Campus Sanofi Mohammed VI Exhibition Center Laennec Rive Gauche Incity Tower Airbus Group Leadership University Damac Tower BioMérieux Headquarters Gonesse Hospital University of Toulouse—Jean Jaurès Regional Judiciary Police Department Paris Convention Centre, Pavilion 7 Shenzhen Hospital Skolkovo Innovation Center Shenzhen Exhibition Center Paris Expo, Pavilion 6 Saint-Gobain Tower ABC (Autonomous Building for Citizens) Prado Concorde Urban Garden Bulgari Hotel Montrouge Academy Issy—Coeur de Ville Hendrikhof Tilburg Les Ardoines Station (Grand Paris Express Station) Vert de Maisons Station (Grand Paris Express Station) Pont de Rungis Station (Grand Paris Express Station) Monaco Sea Extension Gare du Nord Jeddah City Mall Index
