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A 65 m² penthouse in Paris
Alain and Eduardo's high-rise apartment
65 m²
140 000 €
Industrial
Atelier Cortile
For Sloft+ members only
Alain is a devotee of working-class neighborhoods and had settled in the north of Paris for several years.
His search for a new apartment led him further south, at the foot of the Maraîchers metro station, in the city's 20th arrondissement. He's quickly reassured by the liveliness of the surrounding area, easily spotting small shops and the proximity of lively parks. But it's the building in particular that delights him: he's standing in front of a tall, wide, nine-storey building straight out of the 60's, whose architectural qualities he guesses.
"It was perfect timing, since Haussmannian was exactly what I wasn't looking for!"
Indeed, this dynamic Parisian craves light above all else, and he knows that a high floor can provide it. He also dreams of open spaces and, icing on the cake, a large exterior. As she enters the apartment for the first time, her hopes are fulfilled. In fact, it was love at first sight: the apartment is light and airy, with an incredible double view that makes you feel as if you're floating above Paris!
"I immediately saw the potential. I knew it could become a very pleasant little loft to live in, and the perfect place to meet up with Eduardo, my Spanish partner, when he's visiting Paris".
As good things never come alone, we immediately hit it off with Luca, from Atelier Cortile, who was in charge of the project's design. Alain's background is also in architecture, and the two men quickly agreed on the layout. The new apartment comes to life through their passionate exchanges. This is what Luca, who founded his agency on the principle of dialogue, is so happy about: "cortile" in Italian means a small courtyard or garden, a place for sharing par excellence. With no load-bearing walls, the space is totally open-plan, to the point of starting from a bare plateau. In fact, at that moment, Alain was almost tempted to revise Luca's plan and banish all partitions altogether!
For the past two years, the couple have divided their lives between Barcelona and their "little Parisian penthouse", as they like to call it. They get the best experience of this large condominium: frequent aperitifs between residents and a lovely neighbor who takes care of the apartment in their absence. Alain confides that he's thinking of enlarging the opening onto the terrace at a later date. So there's more history to come!
Wide corridors, natural ventilation… The common areas still bear witness to the post-war principles of modernity, and today represent a veritable architectural heritage!
