Laurent Mignon – Groupe BPCE came into existence in this part of Paris, and the prospect of putting the crowning touch to Avenue de France with the construction of such iconic towers rapidly convinced us to invest here and to choose these towers for our corporate headquarters. This architectural project contributes to the development of the 13^th arrondissement of Paris and to have contributed to the greater diversity and modernity of this part of the capital. Beyond the exceptional nature of their silhouettes and their technical sophistication, these towers enable the 9,000 group employees based there to enjoy spaces perfectly aligned with our new working methods and designed specifically to facilitate collaborative working practices. They also serve the essential function of providing a common home for all the group’s different companies.

Nathalie Palladitcheff – Our teams are particularly proud to have worked with the architect Jean Nouvel, whose unique vision of urban space has conferred a real identity on this part of southeastern Paris. This project took a highly unusual environment – wasteland previously used for railway activities – and used the construction of these towers to transform the quarter and reveal its beauty through an unprecedented architectural statement. This project, which began 10 years ago, now demonstrates the clarity of the architect’s vision and the relevance of the buildings as they blend perfectly into their environment.

L.M. –  Groupe BPCE, created in 2009, is the 2^nd largest banking institution in France. It’s a cooperative group comprised of 2 powerful regional banking networks – the Banques Populaires and Caisses d’Epargne – and an array of global business lines run, in particular, by Natixis CIB and Natixis IM. These towers stand as symbols of modernity and strength, representing faith in the future and emblematic of the status enjoyed by Groupe BPCE. They are also places that are open and welcoming to all the group’s employees, customers, and partners… These towers display the group’s colors and everyone can feel proud of them.

N.P. – We can fully identify with the use of the word ‘workspaces’, a term that covers several important concepts such as comfort, quality of life, and services. Workspaces are a challenge for companies, notably as far as retaining existing talent, and attracting promising new recruits, is concerned. We are convinced that these spaces foster greater interaction between employees, a more effective sharing of ideas, new learning experiences, and more innovation. This is our conviction as a real-estate investor.

L.M. – With these towers, Groupe BPCE has invested in the future, notably through the working experience it offers to its employees. Their design and the fixtures & fittings chosen for them provide the group’s employees with an environment tailored to their new ways of working. Indeed, working practices are different today in our post-Covid world, and the BPCE Towers offer a wealth of possibilities to support these changes and others yet to come.

N.P. – With the wider adoption of hybrid working practices and new modes of urban mobility, we need to develop flexible, mixed-use building units – combining workspaces, retail outlets, residential accommodation, and spaces devoted to leisure activities – in order to create attractive living spaces and foster creativity. Changes in recent years in technology and the organization of work have created a porous relationship between people’s private and professional lives. It follows that real estate must be in a position to offer spaces tailored to these new lifestyles and new ways of working.