Fluid design
OXALIS shows off its transparent architecture
OXALIS is located in a dynamic business district just outside Paris. This office building was built in the 1970s, but a modernisation project at the start of the new millennium enhanced it with a glass façade. It was leased to a single tenant for a number of years. When the company moved out, the Deka Immobilien Project & Management team was faced with the challenge of repositioning the office building in a highly competitive real estate market: Boulogne-Billancourt is viewed as a desirable and dynamic location, the preferred choice for industry players and media companies. Benefitting from direct links to the Paris ring road, the main railway stations, the La Défense business district and the famous sights of the French capital are all within easy reach.
During the revitalisation project, the architecture of the OXALIS building was reworked to make the building see-through from end to end: The fascinating interaction between interior and exterior begins on the ground floor, giving the space in the entrance area a light and transparent feel. Sophisticated, premium design details pick out the linear basic structure of the building, while new shapes and colours add distinctive features across all seven floors.
A new cafeteria on the ground floor opens out onto a garden. The exterior of the building lacked homogeneity but has now been enhanced with transparent passages, new sight lines and elegant details to present a unique front in this densely built-up area.
The work involved:
- Creating a glazed entrance area designed to showcase the fluid transition from outside to inside, which is referenced by the building’s positioning concept
- Redesigning the entrance area to create a modern, sophisticated lobby
- Implementing an appealing cafeteria and dining areas that allow tenants to experience the interaction between the interior and exterior
- Completing extensive landscaping work and implementing a high-quality design for the areas around the elevators
- Designing innovative and contemporary office spaces
- Managing an innovative marketing and communications concept
The outcome:
In repositioning this property, Deka Immobilien responded to current demand for modern office space in this sought-after location just outside Paris. The property has been awarded the “Very good” BREEAM certification and satisfies the most stringent requirements regarding functionality, sustainability and the quality of the indoor environment. OXALIS is already fully leased — even before the renovation work had been completed. A long-term lease agreement for all 11,800 square metres of the building was signed with a French training company.
