Hipark Hotel
A Tapered Form Determined by the Challenging Site
The various spatial and technical restrictions literally sculpted the forms of this project: the site is really very narrow, «squeezed» on its southern side by the student residence, and eaten into on the east by the access requirements for the maintenance of the acoustic barrier. The building had to find sufficient space for itself within these constraints to provide the required number of rooms for this apartment hotel.
The resulting volume is tapered: different inclining planes allow for fire access along the eastern facade, while lost space is clawed back on the Boulevard d’Indochine side. Further along, where the hotel meets the student residence, the same crisp angles carry through to this second building; the two projects, hotel and student residences, are powerfully related to one another.
These different angled faces, of a volume that was virtually rectangular to begin with, provide very different perceptions of the building: according to the viewpoint, surfaces appear brighter or darker, more or less cambered, conferring a powerful dynamism to the entire building.
The facade on the Porte de Chaumont side appears very high because of its narrow width, creating a pedestrian landmark for the Boulevard d’Indochine, and a beacon on the périphérique.
The main pedestrian entrance into the building is at the north-west corner. The proximity of the Porte Chaumont, a tram stop and a vélib city bike stand on the pavement outside, all facilitate access to the hotel.
The hotel has a car park, located beneath the adjoining office building. Access is via the southern corner of the site.
In terms of logistics, a service access between the périphérique and hotel allows for deliveries and waste collection. Coaches can also use this route, which has a secondary, parallel entrance for dropping off guests.
Efficient Internal Arrangement
Within the asymmetry used to work around the site’s constraints, one element structures the project: vertical circulation forms a sort of spinal column, identical at each level. While this element is a constant, the size of the rooms and the studios varies from floor to floor.
Suites on the hotel’s upper levels are a reminder that the landscape here is unique, with a panoramic view over Paris from the eastern facade.
The lower level of the project contains all the shared functions: from the entrance at the northern extremity, come successively the lobby, reception areas and foyer, then points of access to the upper storeys and the rooms, and finally the breakfast room to the south.
