Page 28 - DIVA_No.18_2005

Michel Andrault

architects & urban planners

Architecture beyond fashion

Architecture is a demanding
art. It is also an individual
adventure.

The Paris-based firm of
Conceptua now has satellite
offices in Beirut (Lebanon),
Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and
also in Beijing, Shanghai and
Wuhan (China).

The firm's work, acquiring pres-
tigious architectural testimo-
nials since 1957 (offices and
residential towers and low-rise
buildings, sports facilities, retail
outlets, hotels and resorts, urban
planning, hospitals, etc.), has
taken it to Spain, Italy, Saudi
Arabia, Pakistan, Lebanon,
Malaysia and, more recently, to
China. Conceptua is on the
panel of famous architectural
firms behind the construction of
Beijing's Central Business
District.

Among its more important
works are the Paris-Bercy
Multipurpose Hall in Paris, and
many office towers at La
Defense (France), such as the
twin-towers of the Société-
Générale Headquarters, which
won the international MIPIM
Award for the best office buil-
ding in 1995.

The company explores the
concept of combining classi-
cism with modernity, adapting
the architectural principles of
the olden days to present times
in terms of technology, mate-
rials and services.

"In all the projects we have tac-
kled we have always attempted
to create the optimal form, the
one most comprehensible to
others, one that is expressive,
emotional and communicative.
The architect does not work just
to accumulate photos of his
30 Diva 1.2005