Quartier Commercial du Canal, Aubervilliers

The Parisian suburb of Aubervilliers is gradually blossoming more and more into a hip, trendy quarter. One of the reasons may be the outstanding Le Millénaire shopping center directly on the Canal Saint-Denis: with shop floor space of 56,000 square meters and 17,000 square meters of office space, it is one of the largest and most remarkable developments of its type in the whole of France. With an unusually open-plan exterior design that creates a sense of being at a waterfront, the architecture is a contemporary interpretation of the grand old department stores in Paris, and not least thanks to its exemplary high environmental standards, this development is seen as a benchmark for planning ambitions in the metropolis: it represents an urban center of attraction for people to shop and enjoy themselves. Alongside glass and steel, natural materials are also used in the façades: terracotta in typical brick-red brings an inviting warmth to the street aspects while TERRART® Baguettes fill the window apertures on the first floor like sun blinds. An amusing detail: the crosswise arrangement of the bars, which picks up the red from the neighboring building and appears to support the nose-shaped corner structure.