Search

OECD Headquarters

Paris  Map
Lead Designers
Henry N. Cobb Yvonne Szeto

Difficult urban development constraints limited the extent of new construction above grade requiring the mandatory preservation of large parks.

The reconstruction of the headquarters for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) thus involved the substantial design of below-grade space. Located in the 16th arrondissement in Paris, the campus is a composition of new and old buildings that serve as the main workplace for the organization’s 1,500-person staff.

Acknowledging the mission of the OECD, the project continues the organization’s history of facilitating economic cooperation. The gardens of the château are redesigned to become the site for the new public functions which include a reception pavilion, a 300-seat restaurant and catering facility. A new underground conference center receives thousands of international delegates and conference attendees each year.

Show Facts
Site

A 22,000 m2 site near the Bois de Bologne in the 16th Arrondissement

Components

73,000 m2 / 786,000 ft2 gross area; conference center, dining facilities, parking

Client

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development

PCF&P Services

Master planning, architecture, exterior envelope, interior design

Awards

The International Architecture Award
Chicago Athenaeum / European Centre, 2011

The symbolic center of the organization, a 7,000-square-meter château built in 1920, is renovated and retained for its use as ceremonial meeting space and offices for OECD directorate.
Project Credits

Executive Architect: S.C.A.U., Paris; Structural: OTH Bâtiments, Paris, France; Mechanical / Electrical: OTH Bâtiments, Paris, France; Images: Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, Luc Boegly