Handover of Le Corbusier’s Cité de Refuge in Paris

23 November 2015 - Projects update and handover - France

On 19 November, Résidences Sociales de France handed over the Cité de Refuge restoration project in Paris; the works had been carried out by a VINCI Construction France joint venture composed of Bateg and Sicra.

The project involved the remodelling of the dormitories and sanitary facilities, reorganising the communal areas and creating new single rooms, as well as removing and restoring the façades of the neighbouring Centre Espoir reception building.
Over the 28 months of works, which were launched in December 2011, the challenge was to restore this classified (Monuments Historiques) structure to its reference state while bringing it up to current standards for a public access building (PAB). On this complex project, the partners adopted a collaborative approach, setting up a scientific, technical and archaeological committee.
Designed by Le Corbusier in 1933 for the Salvation Army, the purpose of the Cité de Refuge has always been to assist the rehabilitation of those who find themselves “down in the world”. This restoration will improve the facilities that can be offered to people in difficult situations.