Advertising agency BETC has taken a huge derelict flour and grain warehouse on the banks of the Canal de l'Ourcq in Paris and transformed it into offices boasting a large roof garden and plant-filled courtyards (+ slideshow).
The 20,000-square-metre Les Magasins Généraux building in Pantin had become a favourite site of local graffiti artists before BETC bought it and asked architect Frédéric Jung to oversee its conversion.
The 20,000-square-metre Les Magasins Généraux building was derelict when BETC took it over
Jung ? whose previous work includes the transformation of a former leper colony into a gallery ? also developed the previous BETC offices in the city's 10th arrondissement.
But the advertising firm had outgrown these headquarters, so employees were spread around several buildings in central Paris. Les Magasins Généraux has enough room for 900 members of staff, plus 5,000 square metres of space for creative projects. It had become a favourite site of local graffiti artists
"We had to move out of the traditional Parisian centre to the vibrant suburbs to find the dynamic energy of a true world city, like New York, London or Shanghai," suggested BETC founder and chairman, Re?mi Babinet.
"Les Magasins Généraux is the culmination of BETC's ambition and advertising's potential as the cultural leader for creative, innovative content and communications."
Architect Frédéric Jung oversaw the building's conversion
The architect sou...