MAD unveils its first residential project to be constructed in Europe. MAD's new undulated Parisian housing is located in Clichy-Batignolles, a newly developed neighborhood in Paris, UNIC is next to Martin Luther King Park and a courthouse designed by Renzo Piano, which is currently under construction. MAD won the project through an international design competition in collaboration with local French architects Accueil - Biecher Architectes. UNIC is expected to be completed in 2018.

MAD's UNIC creates a contrast in the existing context with its organic form.

The residential project consists of 13 floors in total, the building’s upper floors boast panoramic views of the surrounding city and the Eiffel Tower. The building applied a simple double core structure and bare concrete façade, both of which showcase the design’s elegance and simplicity. UNIC’s podium is conjoined with an adjacent public housing project and provides direct access to the Metro infrastructure and community resources including a kindergarten, retail spaces and restaurants. The resulting design enhances everyday community relations among a diverse socio-economic neighborhood.

UNIC acts as 'a sculptural residential catalyst' to trigger other residential projects.

Facing Martin Luther King Park’s10-hectare green space, UNIC enjoys abundant neighborhood natural spaces. Accentuated by sinuous floor plates, each asymmetrical level slightly tapers as the building ascends to create dynamic spaces within. The floating and “upward-growing” form responds to an organic scheme. 

A closer view to undulating terraces with full transparency.

MAD attempts to blur the boundary between the architecture and nature through UNIC’s variably stepped terraces, which extend the green space from the park into the vertical space of the building, and additionally provides space for residents to interact with nature. Representing stacked courtyards, the distance between human and nature is collapsed.

UNIC will be located next to Martin Luther King Park’s10-hectare green space

''We worked closely with the local government, city planners and local architects in a series of workshops to ensure UNIC is a creative and iconic residential project united with the community,'' said Ma Yansong, MAD’s founder & principal partner. 

UNIC is created by open podiums with full transparency-a colourless, unique structure

After winning the competition, MAD participated in a series of workshops to explore topics from the macro-scale urban plans to micro-scale details, such as sustainable community development, resource sharing, energy management, and population demographics. MAD envisions UNIC to be a dynamic part of the community, to build an organic and harmonious new neighborhood, one that cultivates community with the emerging Clichy-Batignolles projects.

Model view

Closer view to the model

Situation plan

Site plan

4th floor plan

9th floor plan

Elevation 

Project Facts

Name: UNIC

Location: Paris, France

Type: Residential

Status: Under Construction

Expected completion: 2018

Site Area: 1033 sqm (2350.7 sqm Lot total)

Building Area: 6,600 sqm (71,000 sq.ft.)

Building Height: 50 m

Directors: Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano

Design Team: Zhao Wei, Flora Lee, Wu Kaicong, Daniel Gillen, Jiang Bin, Andrea D’ Antrassi, Tristan Brasseur, Juan Valeros, Gustavo Alfred van Staveren, Xin Dogterom, Juan Pablo, Cesar d Pena Del Rey, Natalia Giacomino

All images courtesy of MAD Architects

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