With its sculptural, organic form and green public pathways, the residential and retail complex brings new life to Colombes. It stands in the ZAC Charles de Gaulle, an urban renewal project in Colombes, a commune in the north-western suburbs of the French capital. The building is a good example of how contemporary, organic architecture can make suburban, residential neighbourhoods more engaging and vibrant. The area around ZAC Charles de Gaulle is home to different types of bungalows and apartment blocks dating from the s to s, lending it an eclectic architectural identity.
As one of the newest projects to rise up there, Courbes is a mixed-use complex composed of two buildings linked by a singular podium on the ground floor. This podium level contains large, double-height retail spaces. Above it are apartment units with each containing an average of 22m2 of outdoor area. Lined with more than 30 parasol pines, they open Courbes up, helping the complex to better connect with the wider neighbourhood. The apartments are set vertically, with interlocking volumes that give the exterior a striated aesthetic.
According to him, the building signals the entrance to the town, with the moulded volumes giving each apartment its own unique character. This reflective material amplifies the green spaces surrounding the buildings and indoor lighting that emanates from within the residences and shops.
Paths set around and in the spaces between the two buildings serve as pedestrian walkways. More than two kilometres of curved glazing were used for the windows and balconies.
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