Franklin Azzi (French: [fʁɑ̃klɛ̃ azzi]; born 12 August 1975 in Paris), is a French architect. He is a graduate from the
École Spéciale d'Architecture, and the
Glasgow School of Art. He is the founder of Franklin Azzi Architecture,[1] an agency based in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris.
Early life and education
During his years of obligatory military service, Azzi did his first architectural works, in
India and
Turkey. He studied at the ESA École Spéciale d'Architecture, where he had a significant encounter with
Paul Virilio, a French cultural theorist and urbanist. His practice mixing different areas of applied arts with architecture was inspired by his time at the
Glasgow School of Art, where interdisciplinary studies are highly encouraged. [citation needed]
Career
Since 2006, Azzi has been head of Franklin Azzi Architecture, a multidisciplinary team, including architects, interior designers, decorators, graphic designers, art historians, and also parametric design researchers. His first project with public funding was the Center for American Francophonie in
Québec City. He then completed other public projects, the restoration of the
Alstom halls[2] in
Nantes, which now hosts the school of the
fr:École supérieure des beaux-arts de Nantes Métropole; the restructuring of the Mame Printing Houses[3] in
Tours, a 1950 building by
Bernard Zehrfuss and
Jean Prouvé; the reconversion of the Tri Postal[4] and the Gare Saint-Sauveur[5] into two cultural centers, in
Lille. In 2013, he worked with the
City of Paris on the redevelopment of the Banks of the Seine,[6] turning 2,5 kilometers of embankment into a pedestrian area.
Azzi has always considered his work as "global architecture", as he has had a multidisciplinary background. In 2014, he founded Franklin Azzi Design, with Noemie Goddard.[11] He collaborated with artists like
Tatiana Trouvé, designers like Robert Carr, but also fashion designers, such as Bali Barret,[12] Christophe Lemaire[13] and
Isabel Marant.
Projects
Current projects
Laureate of the international contest for the rehabilitation[14] of the
Tour Montparnasse, with the Nouvelle AOM group, Paris, France.
In July 2016, an international contest was launched for the metamorphosis of the Tour Montparnasse, with 700 international architecture agencies participating. His agency joined two other Parisian agencies (Chartier Dalix Architectes and Hardel et Le Bihan Architectes) to form the Nouvelle AOM group, and submit a proposition. They set their design workshop in the 44th floor of the Tower.[15] In September 2017, the Nouvelle AOM group won and revealed their rehabilitation project, focusing on redefining the visual identity of the Tower, but also on comfort and energetic performances issues.[16] The construction works are planned to last from 2019 to 2023, so that the Tower will be ready for the
2024 Olympics in
Paris.
^Paul Ardenne and Delphine Desveaux (2014). IN/OUT : Franklin Azzi Architecture (in French and English). Ante Prima/AAM Editions.
ISBN9782871432784.
^Hugues Jallon (2008). You can be young and an architect, based on the true story of Lan Architecture (in French and English). Ante Prima/AAM Editions.
ISBN978-2-87143-192-3.
^Périphériques architectes (2008). Les Salons de l'IFA (in French). a.p.r.e.s Editions.
ISBN978-2-952-88972-8.
^Robert Klanten and Lukas Feireiss (2008). Strike a pose : eccentric architecture and spectacular spaces. Berlin: Gestalten.
ISBN978-3-89955-225-6.
^Marta Serrats (2010). 150 Best Eco House Ideas. New York: Collins Design and Loft Publications.
ISBN978-0-06-196879-2.
^Thierry Mandoul (2014). Sports : Portrait d'une métropole (in French). Editions du Pavillon de l'Arsenal.
ISBN978-2-35487-024-9.
^Francis Rambert, Martine Colombet and Christine Carboni (2015). Un bâtiment, combien de vies? La transformation comme acte de création. Silvana Editoriale.
ISBN9788836629749.