AG Real Estate France is continuing the transformation of M62, a seven-storey office building covering 5,246 m², a legacy of the interwar period, located at 62 Rue Marcadet in Paris’s 18th arrondissement.
Designed by Chevalier + Guillemot Architecture and carried out by GA Smart Building, the project involves a major refurbishment, revealing the structural qualities of the existing building whilst adapting it to new uses and environmental ambitions. The original concrete structure has been retained, the atrium enlarged, vertical circulation reconfigured and the steel joinery preserved: the project adopts an approach that is at once technical, heritage-focused and architectural.
The project’s distinctive feature is its original concrete structure, which has been preserved, stripped back and laid bare, its monumental scale becoming the cornerstone of the new architecture. The intervention also embraces the building’s successive layers, including the repairs and variations in materials resulting from its history, rather than erasing them. This honest interpretation of the existing structure forms the basis of the M62’s identity, giving the project its unique character.
At the heart of the project, the atrium underwent significant refurbishment. Enlarged from 7 x 8 m to 11 x 12 m, it redefines the circulation routes, bringing more light into the heart of the building and now structuring the entire building around walkways and a monumental staircase. This reconfiguration was accompanied by major work on the core structures, including the renovation of one staircase, the creation of another, partial demolition and the relocation of vertical circulation routes, in order to bring the building into line with current regulatory requirements, particularly regarding public access buildings and fire safety.
The building also stands out for the attention paid to construction details. The approach was to preserve as much as possible the elements that contribute to the building’s character: the delicate exterior joinery and the historic steel mullions, retained in place of more standardised aluminium solutions. This commitment is reflected in the treatment of the interior spaces, where exposed beams, varying ceiling heights and the raw materiality of the structure become integral components of the project.
“With M62, we sought to strike a balance between the building’s architectural history and the uses it is now intended to accommodate. The challenge was to restore coherence to the whole, whilst embracing the diversity of eras, materials and traces left by the building’s various past lives. It is this tension between permanence and adaptation that, in our view, gives the project its uniqueness,” explains Olivier Guillemot, Associate Architect, Chevalier + Guillemot Architecture.
The environmental approach is evident in the decision to retain the bulk of the structure and envelope, significantly reducing the project’s carbon footprint. The project is aiming for BREEAM Excellent certification, Wired Score GOLD level and the OSMOZ label. It also incorporates elements of reuse, particularly in the lighting, enhanced green roofing, and increased facilities for soft mobility, in line with the objectives of Paris’s bioclimatic Local Urban Development Plan (PLU). The renovation of the existing building also enables savings of approximately 150 kg CO₂eq./m² compared to a new building compliant with RE2020.
“M62 illustrates our approach to working on existing assets with high potential: preserving what defines their identity, revealing their structural qualities and driving their transformation to the highest standards. AG Real Estate France is accustomed to developing complex projects in dense urban areas (My Little Nation or 24Sentier), where managing interfaces and site constraints is crucial. ” says Arnaud Guennoc, Managing Director and Head of Development at AG Real Estate France. “In this context, our long-standing partnership with GA Smart Building is a real asset: we share the same high standards of execution, a common culture of handling complex projects and a proven ability to drive ambitious projects forward together.”
“M62 is a very concrete illustration of our expertise in renovation and refurbishment: here we are working on an existing building in the city centre, involving major refurbishment work within a demanding regulatory environment. This type of project requires great technical precision, flexibility in execution and a strong capacity for coordination between all project stakeholders. This redevelopment also demonstrates our ability to support value-add operators, such as AG Real Estate France, who have placed their trust in us for many years, in a competitive and flexible manner,” concludes Gilles de Jouvencel, Managing Director of Renovated Property at GA Smart Building.
Completion is scheduled for the third quarter of 2026.
Photography by Jad Sylla
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Project name: M62
- Nature of the project: Major refurbishment of an existing office building.
- Address: 62 Rue Marcadet, 75018 Paris.
- Project Owner: AG Real Estate France.
- Main contractor: GA Smart Building.
- Technical works: Klymeo.
- Floor area: 5,246 m² – office building with seven storeys.
- Existing building: A building dating from the interwar period, featuring functionalist architecture.
- Architect responsible for the original project: François Larroche.
- Architect in charge of the renovation project: Chevalier + Guillemot Architecture.
- Interior design: Antoine Ricardou – Ateliers Saint Lazare.
- Targeted certifications and labels: BREEAM Excellent, WiredScore GOLD level and OSMOZ label.
