Parc du Millénaire in Paris.
Courtesy KPF Parc du Millénaire in Paris.

Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) celebrated a groundbreaking ceremony for a new eight-story Ministry of Justice building named PDM 3. The ceremony took place at Parc du Millénaire in Paris on Tuesday, and was attended by French Minister of Justice Christiane Taubira, and First Deputy Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo. Sited along Boulevard Périphérique—a ring road encircling the capital city—the new building is one of a pair designed by KPF for French developer ICADE as a gateway for the Parc du Millénaire development along the bank of the Canal Saint-Denis. Parc du Millénaire will be accessible from the 19th Arrondissement via footbridge across the canal as well as by public ferry. The two KPF buildings, PDM 3 and PDM 4, are polygonal volumes wrapped in breathable, double skins that provide views across the canal while maintaining a thermal buffer between exterior and interior. Within each volume, central atria allow daylight into the buildings, providing bright communal areas for casual meetings. Both buildings are expected to meet LEED Gold qualifications.

For more details and images of PDM 3, visit ARCHITECT's Project Gallery.