Tours Aillaud, also known as Tours Nuages, is a landmark residential complex located in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris, at 1 Avenue Pablo Picasso. It was designed by Émile Aillaud and realised in collaboration with engineer Ashton Azaïs and the Proco company. Construction lasted from 1973 to 1981 and took place in two phases.
The first phase saw the construction of the two tallest towers with 38 storeys (B1 and B2) and six 19-storey buildings (C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 and C7). The second phase involved the construction of another 19-storey tower (1) and nine buildings ranging in height from 8 to 12 storeys (2-9). In total, there are 1,607 flats in the complex.
Tours Aillaud – architecture and design
Tours Aillaud is distinguished by its unusual form reminiscent of a clover or cloud. Each building is a combination of curves and straight lines, and its reinforced concrete façade was created using a slip-forming technique. The surface of the facades is covered with a 2.2 cm thick glass mosaic, designed by Aillaud and Fabio Rieti. The patterns depict nature motifs such as sky and trees. The decorative sculptures are the work of Laurence Rieti, the architect’s daughter. In his autobiography ‘Apparent disorder, hidden order’ (1975), Aillaud emphasised the importance of the poetic nature of the living space.
Characteristics of the development
Each tower is made up of adjacent cylindrical segments, which breaks the traditional geometry of urban estates. The windows in the towers are of various shapes – square, round and leaf-like – and their arrangement gives the impression of chaos, although in fact it has been carefully planned. The design of the polychromatic facades by Aillaud and Rieti is kept at the Centre Georges-Pompidou. Aillaud himself indicated that his aim was not just to colour the facades, but to create a colourful landscape in which the individual buildings resemble clouds cut through with greenery. Plenty of trees have been planted all around, providing an oasis of nature in a densely built-up area. Tours Aillaud is close to the centre of Nanterre and the La Défense business district.
Photo by Guilhem Vellut, Wikimedia Commons
Challenges and the future of the complex
The cost of maintaining the towers is a significant challenge and their surroundings are undergoing dynamic changes. In 2016, a competition was launched for the thermal and artistic renovation of the facades. A year later, the RVA office won the tender for the renovation of 11 buildings. Subsequent plans, approved in 2019, include the demolition of one tower and the conversion of six others into residential and commercial uses, including art studios, a health centre and coworking spaces. The decision on the changes has provoked opposition from the Sites et Monuments Association, which accuses the developers of commercialising the project and not involving the public authorities sufficiently.
Heritage of Tours Aillaud
Tours Aillaud is a unique example of modernist architecture, combining functionalism with a poetic approach to living space. Despite the challenges of maintenance and functional changes, the complex remains an important part of Nanterre’s landscape and a symbol of experimental urbanism in the 20th century.
Source: greyscape.com, aroundus.com
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