Elizabeth Exline
02/01/2008
When Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann was commissioned by Napoléon III to redevelop Paris in the mid-19th century—an act that required replacing the city’s interwoven streets and cramped buildings with an orderly axis plan and a new set of building regulations—he succeeded in creating one of history’s best examples of urban planning. Haussmann’s strict set of architectural guidelines included facades characterized by horizontal lines that are perfectly aligned from one building to the next, elaborate second-floor balconies and undecorated fifth-floor balconies, and eaves angled at 45 degrees. Although the majority of his plans are still in place today, many of his design principles were replaced at the end of the 19th century with less precise and disciplined architecture, leaving examples of his eponymous design framework limited to what could be financed and built in just a 30-year period.
Although not easy to come by, an original Haussmann building in
Paris’ chic 16th arrondissement was recently purchased by England’s City Lofts
Group, which will soon turn 81 Avenue Victor Hugo into a sleekly elegant
mixed-use project.
Top: A former Haussmann building in Paris’ 16th
arrondissement will house 28 apartments. Bottom: The new units combine the
building’s original architectural details with modern accents. (Click images to enlarge) ; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
"What I wanted to do was blend a certain style and branding
with a certain level of service that had not been done in a European city," says
Ross Mansoori-Dara, the co-founding director of City Lofts Group. The
redeveloped building will feature 28 apartments ranging from studios to
four-bedroom homes; street-level shops with a bank, two clothiers and an
owners-only spa; basement-level storage and service units; a gym; valet parking;
and a 24-hour concierge. To partake in such novelties, residents can expect to
pay between €325,000
and €3.3 million
($482,000 and $4.9 million).
The project will also infuse the City of Light with a distinctly English flavor, courtesy of Conran & Partners, the architectural and design practice of Sir Terence Conran. Each apartment incorporates French and English traditions, while successfully mixing the old with the new. Kitchens that incorporate stone countertops and integrated appliances are set against a backdrop of crown molding, wainscoting and hardwood floors. The building’s tall ceilings and generously sized windows have remained untouched, but the bathrooms make an elegant nod to spa culture with hydro-jet baths, fully tiled walls and floors and, in some master suites, full-height travertine stonework.
Straddling the worlds of both novelty and luxury, the units have been a success with buyers from both sides of the English Channel. "Some of the offers on the released units have been three times the listing prices," says Mansoori-Dara.