First it was a market; the it was station and cultural center; now, it is a station, cultural center, and shopping center. The case of Les Halles in Paris is that of a fast-changing palimpsest, and what is interesting is that the building just completed in Paris – following scheme selected in the competition called in 2007 (see AV Proyectos 21) – rescues the tectonic condition of the original market built by Baltard: that of a pure structure, a “simple umbrella,” as he was asked by Baron Haussmann to build it.

Its given name, ‘Canopée’ (canopy), defines the building’s character well. It is in fact a large metallic roof 500 meters in length. The gently undulating cover rises to meet the height (24 meters) of the neighboring blocks, stretching between two side wings to generate a large interior space that opens up to the busy Place du Châtelet.

The structure of the roof consists of a dense frame of slightly curving steel beams that, in order to span the area of the interior plaza, must rest on a very deep latticework which cuts through the central axis of the building. Consisting of screwed bars with a gleaming golden lacquer, the beams resemble bones, and form a skeleton with a skin of 18,000 glass shingles that brings plenty of natural light inside and controls temperature