Day 216/365 of Steel – Patrick Berger

Patrick Berger, born in Paris on 10 November 1947, is a French architect. He graduated in architecture from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1972.

He began his career as an architect with an internship in Warmbronn, in the studio of the German architect and engineer Frei Otto. He opened his first architectural office in 1977.

Parc André-Citroën
Fig 1: Parc André-Citroën
Photo: Gilles Clément 

In the 1980s, several competitions contributed to his reputation, and he designed the Parc André-Citroën and the transformation of the Bastille Viaduct into the Viaduc des Arts in Paris.

The Maroquinerie des Ardennes (Hermes)
Fig 2: The Maroquinerie des Ardennes (Hermes)
Source: patrickberger.fr

The 1990s saw a diversity of programs with the creation, among others, of the Hôtel d’agglomération de Rennes and a factory for Hermès International in the Ardennes.

The Maroquinerie des Ardennes (Hermes)
Fig 3: The Maroquinerie des Ardennes (Hermes)
Source: patrickberger.fr

The Maroquinerie des Ardennes (Hermes)
The plan is arranged on a 17.40 meter scale, corresponding to the scale of each workshop and their structural span. Their combinations delimit a horizontal building of 104 meters long by 52 meters wide. The structural system was made of galvanized steel to speed up the construction process.

The Maroquinerie des Ardennes (Hermes)
Fig 4: The Maroquinerie des Ardennes (Hermes)
Source: patrickberger.fr

The Canopée and the Châtelet-Les Halles station, Paris.
Winner in July 2007 with Jacques Anziutti of the international competition for the “Carreau des Halles”, in the heart of Paris, Patrick Berger designed an emblematic gateway to Greater Paris for the new metropolitan role of this site.

The Canopée and the Châtelet-Les Halles station, Paris
Fig 5: The Canopée and the Châtelet-Les Halles station, Paris
Photo: © Sergio Grazia

He designed it as a canopy whose shape is deduced from the complexity of the site. I will dedicate a separate post to this project, which has attracted a lot of criticism but also undeniably brought about a much needed metamorphosis of the Les Halles district.

The Canopée and the Châtelet-Les Halles station, Paris
Fig 6: The Canopée and the Châtelet-Les Halles station, Paris
Photo: © Sergio Grazia

About the Author:

Bruno Dursin – Managing Director at Believe in Steel. Bruno has more than 30 years of experience in promoting steel & steel solutions. His clients benefit from his extensive network within the building industry.

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