Bercy 2 Shopping Center | Renzo Piano Building Workshop Architects
The shape of this shopping centre was determined by its topography: a series of immediately adjacent motorway junctions carve out a space into which a curved, silver form has been fitted.The building’s highly visible 2,000 sq m roof is covered with 27,000 modular shiny steel panels of sophisticated geometry allowing for a maximum standardization of components. Apart from its aesthetic impact, the metal plays an important role in insulating the structure by deflecting sunlight away and creating a shaded, ventilated roof, beneath which a chamber of air slows down heat exchange with the outside.
Project Info:
Architects: Renzo Piano Building Workshop Architects
Location: Paris, France
Client: GRC
Design team: N. Okabe, B. Plattner (associates in charge) with J. F. Blassel, S. Dunne, M. Henry, K. McBryde, A. O’Carroll, R. Rolland, M. Salerno, N. Westphal
and M. Bojovic, D. Illoul, P. Senne;Y. Chapelain, O. Doizy, J. Y. Richard (models)
Consultants: Ove Arup & Partners, Otra, J. L. Sarf, OTH S.I. (structure and services); Veritas (fire prevention); Copibat (site co-ordination); M. Desvigne, C. Dalnoky (landscaping); Crighton Design Management (interiors).
Design: 1987
Construction: 1987-1990
Site area: 120.000 m
Total floor area: Net floor area (excluding car parks): 47.000 m2
Height: 25,20 m
Floors: 4 +2 basements
Isabelle Laurent is a Built Projects Editor at Arch2O, recognized for her editorial insight and passion for contemporary architecture. She holds a Master’s in Architectural Theory from École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville. Before joining Arch2O in 2016, she worked in a Paris-based architectural office and taught as a faculty adjunct at the École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris. Isabelle focuses on curating projects around sustainability, adaptive reuse, and urban resilience. With a background in design and communication, she brings clarity to complex ideas and plays a key role in shaping Arch2O’s editorial