Designed by ANMA, The new Ministry of Defence building is a complex operation due to its dual urban and architectural nature. It is located on a 16.5-hectare site divided into three plots: the Victor plot to the east (8.5 hectares) is home to the Cité de l?Air, whose buildings have been either demolished or rehabilitated; the central Valin plot (8 hectares) is occupied by the main building of the ministry, and the western Corne Ouest plot is given over to a commercial real estate programme.

ANMA was tasked with coordinating the three plots, building the ministry?s main building (146,500 m²) and restructuring the Perret building on the Valin plot, as well as constructing two buildings on the Victor plot.
Photography: Cécile Septet
The project?s goal was to group together the ministry buildings previously scattered across some 15 sites around Paris. The building is both majestic and discreet, combining a visibly monumental character with a garden landscape representing 60% of the site area, thanks to the choice of building on stilts which frees up space for a series of planted courtyards. The plan is based on a dynamic shape that starts off with a hexagon and then spreads out in multiple directions. For security reasons, the military headquarters is positioned centrally, away from the less sensitive functions located in outlying buildings, while the command and control center is housed in an underground concrete bunker. Photography: Cécile Septet
The concrete structure o...