Landmark Hermitage Plaza project granted 鈥楶ermis de Construie鈥

Foster & Partners鈥 landmark Hermitage Plaza twin towers have been granded 鈥榩ermis de construie鈥 by authorities in Paris.

The project with two 320m high towers at its heart is set to form the centre of a new community east of the French capital鈥檚 La D茅fense district.

The result of a close collaboration with EPAD, the City of Courbevoie, Atelier de Paysage Urbain and D茅partement de Hauts-de-Seine, the project is intended to inject life into the area, which extends down to the River Seine, by creating a sustainable, high-density community.

The two towers accommodate a hotel, spa, panoramic apartments, offices and serviced apartments, as well as shops at the base.

As they rise from an interlocking diamond-shaped plan, the towers turn outward to address views across Paris.

The angle of the fa莽ade panels promotes self-shading and vents can be opened to draw fresh air inside, contributing to an environmental strategy that targets a BREEAM 鈥楨xcellent鈥 rating.

A crystal-shaped podium building contains office space, with two detached satellite buildings housing a gallery and auditorium that further extend the public realm.

Grant Brooker, a senior partner at Foster + Partners, said the latest planning advance was a step toward significant positive change for the district.

鈥淥ur ambition was to create a project that would inject new life into La D茅fense by bringing a new type of occupation and creating a new public focus on the edge of the Seine,鈥 he said.

鈥淭his announcement represents a very important stage in the project鈥檚 development and is thanks to the passion of our client, Emin Iskenderov, and the support we have had from EPAD, the City of Courbevoie and the D茅partement de Hauts-de-Seine - we could not have reached this milestone without them.鈥