The Murmure project transforms a former electrical substation into a major facility dedicated to sound creation and sound-related professions. Located at 69 Boulevard de Charonne in Paris’s 11th arrondissement, the 8 448 m2 building has been reimagined as a hybrid complex combining professional recording spaces, creative studios and work environments for the sound and media industries.
Winner of the “Réinventer Paris 2” competition, the project was completed and delivered at the end of 2025. Built in 1929, the original substation features a robust reinforced concrete post-and-beam structure organised around an impressive 24m high central nave lit by zenithal natural light. The transformation radically shifts the building’s purpose while preserving its architectural and industrial identity. The project retains the majority of the existing structural framework : vertical supports, concrete floors, steel-framed windows and characteristic ironwor. It restores the façade to reveal its original polychrome materiality.
At the heart of the project, the central nave becomes an interior street and a vertical soundscape linking all levels. It serves as a circulation hub, a gathering space and a visual anchor for the entire complex. Sound and media workspaces occupy the upper floors while two new basement levels, visible through a glass ceiling, are dedicated to advanced recording studios including a large room capable of hosting a full symphony orchestra. A suspended garden crowns the building, creating a calm rooftop retreat.
Environmental performance is a central component of the project. Murmure demonstrates an exemplary approach to rehabilitation, achieving ambitious energy and sustainability targets. It has received several environmental certifications, including BREEAM Excellent, HQE Rénovation Excellent, Effinergie Rénovation −40% and BBCA Rénovation, reflecting a commitment to low-carbon strategies, re-use of existing structures and long-term resilience.
