The project takes place in the building of the former printing house of the newspaper l’Illustration, an iconic witness of the industrial architecture and modernity of the 30’s through its characteristic tower, its linear volumetry punctuated by the two interior courtyards and its red brick facades. The University Sorbonne Paris Nord already occupies the Illustration after several phases of partial rehabilitation carried out over two decades.
This last phase gives back to the south facade its monumental and urban character through a total rehabilitation which opens the building towards the semi-circular square of the rue Balzac and the city. The project is consistent with the previous phases while respecting the architectural vocabulary of the original building: enhancement of the concrete structure, rehabilitation of the brick facades, metal mezzanine and wood decking.