Rue du Rhône 3-5-7-9

The project presented corresponds to the first phase of renovation work on the four oldest buildings, located at Rue du Rhône 3 to 9.
Following an application for authorisation submitted in 2018, the building permit was issued in January 2020. Work began in June of the same year and will be completed in October 2021.

The buildings lining Quai Bezançon Hugues are unique in that they belong to the only historic block whose connection to the Rhône is not interrupted by a street; here, the relationship with the water is direct.
As part of the harbour site plan, the project follows its guidelines and preserves the historical layout of the plots. It does not seek to smooth out the buildings and periods, but embraces the variety of constructions and styles as a quality of the harbour. Furthermore, the order and hierarchy between the levels are also respected, through a clear vertical structure: ground floor, main body and attic or roof.

Rue du Rhône 3
The project proposes a renovation-restoration of the Rhône 3 building that respects the historical substance of the elements still in place, mainly the outbuildings, the façade and a glass roof.
The work involves the interior conversion of offices, the conversion of existing flats, the creation of a duplex apartment taking advantage of the attic space, and the design of a new shop window protected by a canopy on the street side. Structural reinforcements, fire safety upgrades and technical renovations are also being carried out.

Rhône 5-7-9
The project involves replacing the envelope elements installed in 1974 by J.V.Bertolli, namely the reconstruction of the façades on the top floor, which act as a joint between the main body of the building and the roof, the replacement of the roof, and a return to a mineral yet contemporary expression for the Rhône 7 façade. In addition, structural reinforcements, fire safety upgrades and the renewal of technical installations are being carried out.

The work also focuses on the interior transformation of activity areas for the benefit of tenants, as well as the reconstruction of the shop windows and the marquee on the street side.


In accordance with the proposals of the parallel study mandate, the bayonet-shaped public passageway at No. 7 is redesigned and enhanced in its expression, geometry and functionality, thus weaving a close functional and visual link between the Rue du Rhône and the river.


Carried out over nearly six years, this project embodies the search for a balance between heritage preservation and modernisation.
Through its ups and downs, it illustrates the scope of the debate on heritage preservation and the variety of solutions – from restoration to replacement of elements – required when working on a historic building complex of this complexity.
Like the ‘Rhône 8’ project, this operation offers a complete range of types and levels of intervention requiring a concerted multidisciplinary approach. In the reflection on strategies for the conservation, renovation or replacement of the building and its components, all those involved in the operation were involved, under the leadership of the architects from the competition phase onwards: the project owner and its representatives, the authorities and their technical services, the heritage and site protection services, fire safety officers, technical agents and, finally, the builders.

The issues discussed, including technical, functional and safety requirements, economic and regulatory constraints, and architectural, historical and heritage criteria, form the basis of the richness of the approach.