Diary of a building site Clearing and cleaning In a building left abandoned for several years, open to the wind and rain, building work had to begin with thorough floor-by-floor cleaning of all the buildings, from the cellars to the attics, trying to save features recounting the architectural history, ancient and modern. No traces remain from the 16th century, but there was a whole heap of modern rubble. This was when a catalogue was made of the drawings, graffiti and paintings by an artists’ collective who squatted the building in the 90s. Consolidating the building before work could begin The enjoyable task of transforming the building had to be preceded by some underpinning of the foundations, to stabilise walls and buildings. A lengthy and unseen job, progress visible only by masses of graph paper covered with ground strength curves. By the end of this phase, three months had passed of the Summer of 2001. Structural work After this reinforcement, 17th century timbers and 16th century dressed stone cloister walls became the subjects of our weekly discussions. At the same time, site meetings were tackling ways of preserving the structure and the traces we choose to leave visible of all this ‘structural’ history. Discussion after discussion about leaving 19th century cast-iron posts exposed by the same token as 16th century wooden beams… all a question of trying to judge their value. Should we try to keep every trace of the past, as at the famous Mont St Michel? Or give prominence to some precisely-defined period, as in many so-called historic buildings? This phase of the work was to take a whole year. Internal conversion It was decided to attach the same importance to a 1991 graffiti by Corben (an artist in the 90s squat who has since become famous) as to a 17th century parlour door surround, and to the metal structures from the industrial era. Now subdivision of the spaces and partitioning could begin. The 85 accommodation units we’d planned began to appear at this point — every one different from the others. Larger split-level studios, bedrooms nestling in the attics, studios on the same level as the inner garden, their view continuing out across the adjoining City of Paris gardens. During this interior conversion work, the future studio/apartments have been taking shape through successive stages of painting and lighting. Another year passed. The choice of furnishings, partly designed by us, is underway. Frédéric VINCENDON, Architect, 21st April 2003