Citroën: young architect Manuelle Gautrand beats the big names
Coming out on top of quality names such as Christian Biecher, Jacques Ferrier, Zaha Hadid and Christian de Portzamparc is young French designer Manuelle Gautrand, whose design to remodel the ‘historical’ Citroën headquarters in the heart of Paris at 42 Champs-Elysées has been chosen by the leading car manufacturer who wishes to pay homage to its prestigious history of which this office bears excellent witness. The building is currently used for the most part by a restaurant chain.
The design – the main features of which are a continuous vertical route and a self propelled spiral on seven levels for displaying vehicles – aims to express the vertical nature of the 25 metre high façade. The building work is due to begin in 2004 with the opening of the new space planned for the end of the same year.
