by Christian Horn

In July 2000, the Parisian architecture firm Edge won a design competition for an office renovation. Just six months later, the client company Pixelpark moved into its new 27,000-square-foot (2500-square-meter) headquarters.

The German multimedia company wanted its Paris headquarters to be a visual expression of the company's philosophy, and they were ready to invest in its 160 employees, some of whom spend often 12 hours a day at work. Pixelpark wanted a convenient, stimulating workspace designed to reflect their own creative activities.

For Edge, corporate identity refers not just to a company's product but is also visible throughout the workspace. The two-man firm of François Gillet and Andrés Atela, established in 1997, specializes in designs for offices, temporary exhibitions, and showrooms.

With their first large-scale office project, the architects have succeeded on both the functional and aesthetic fronts. In the Pixelpark headquarters, they have brought an innovative approach to the design of the work areas and to the clarity of the circulation.

Rebuilding from the Inside

Pixelpark occupies one entire floor and portions of two others in a 1960s industrial building constructed around two courtyards. The neighborhood, in the northeast of Paris near the Canal St.-Martin, buzzes with new technology and Internet start-ups.   >>>

Discuss this article in the Architecture Forum...

The new Paris headquarters for the multimedia company Pixelpark designed by architects François Gillet and Andrés Atela. Photo: Gitty Darugar Three of the remodeled bays in a building with two internal courtyards. Image: Edge   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.