Îlot des Hautes-Formes

The Îlot des Hautes-Formes consists of six reinforced concrete buildings connected by arches, featuring varied heights to maximize natural light exposure.

Christian de Portzamparc and Georgia Benamo collaborated in 1979 to design this social housing project, marking a departure from high-rise tower construction in Paris.

The architectural design introduced the open block theory, creating a central street through the complex while maintaining intimate spaces for residents.

The complex contains 209 social housing units with diverse window configurations, fragmented volumes, and multiple scale variations throughout the buildings.

The buildings incorporate monumental windows spanning two apartments in height, with geometric shapes including half-circles and rectangles in their structural design.

Location: 13th arrondissement of Paris

Architects: Christian de Portzamparc

Address: rue des Hautes Formes

GPS coordinates: 48.82778,2.36528

Latest update: October 1, 2025 21:00