Maison de la Chine Dorms byAtelier FCJZ + Coldefy

Located within the historic Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris (CIUP), the Maison de la Chine Dorms by Atelier FCJZ and Coldefy is a striking architectural landmark that blends cultural heritage, sustainable design, and contemporary student living. Completed in 2023, the 8,287 m² residence finally fulfills a long-awaited dream of creating a dedicated Chinese House in Paris, more than ninety years after it was first envisioned.

A Legacy Realized

The CIUP, founded in 1925, is home to over 40 pavilions representing different nations, each with distinctive architecture—from Le Corbusier’s Pavillon Suisse to Lucio Costa’s Maison du Brésil. In 1930, Chinese student Yu Ping-Lih first proposed a Maison Chinoise as his thesis project, but financial challenges halted its construction. Nearly a century later, a Sino-French design competition revived the vision, and the winning proposal by Atelier FCJZ and Coldefy gave birth to the Fondation de Chine, known poetically as He Yuan (“Garden of Harmony”).

Concept: A Modern Tu Lou

Inspired by the Tu Lou—traditional communal earthen dwellings in Southern China—the architects created a design that integrates 300 single dormitories with a 500-seat cultural hall in a continuous ring-shaped formation. This open loop structure surrounds a central courtyard, where terraces, staircases, and green platforms create a vertical landscape that fosters community interaction and cultural exchange.

The building is designed not only as housing but as a conceptual village, echoing both traditional Chinese living patterns and modern student lifestyles.

Living with Landscape

Positioned at the southern edge of CIUP, the Maison de la Chine carefully negotiates its setting between a sports field and the bustling Boulevard Périphérique. The project maximizes green space, with gardens integrated across the rooftop, terraces, and courtyards. This ensures students experience a healthy, nature-connected environment—an idea inspired by Le Corbusier’s emphasis on well-being in design.

Materiality and Cultural DNA

Rather than relying on ornamental references, the architects embedded Chinese identity through construction techniques and materials.

• The outer façade is clad in grey clay bricks, handcrafted in Europe, referencing traditional Chinese masonry.
• Innovative brick-laying patterns—such as Die Se (brick cantilevering)—create textured walls, projecting eaves, and rhythmic reliefs.
• The inner courtyard façade is lined with warm timber grilles, symbolizing balance between earth and wood, two key elements in Chinese architectural tradition.

This material composition also addresses acoustics, mitigating noise from the adjacent highway while preserving a calm, harmonious atmosphere for residents.

A Garden of Harmony

The final design embodies the name He Yuan, not just as a residence, but as a cultural landmark, a bridge between China and France, and a celebration of collective living rooted in history yet adapted for the future.