- Covers more than 70 high-profile projects across commercial, retail,
institutional, and mixed-use programs, including the Musée d Art
Contemporain de Bordeaux; the headquarters for Shell, Air France and
Johnson & Johnson; Leonardo de Vinci University Center; L'Oréal
Laboratories; Shenzhen Hospital; and many others- Includes an
introduction written by renowned architectural writer Philip Jodidio-
Includes full-color photography, detailed diagrams, plans and sketches-
Includes 74 high-calibre projects across Europe, including France, Czech
Republic, Poland, Hungary, Spain and Monaco, and elsewhere around the
globeValode & Pistre seem atypical in the world of contemporary
architecture. Their bright, cheerful offices on the Rue du Bac in the
heart of Paris reflect this nature. It seems quite natural that artists
who work with light such as Yann Kersalé and the late François Morellet
have been pleased to create installations specifically for these offices
because, from their first iconic completed work, the renovation of the
CAPC Bordeaux Contemporary Art Museum, the pair have been actively
interested in the connections between art and architecture. Denis Valode
says, "We are convinced that the role of the architect is to do more
with less and not the contrary. The economy of means--the correct choice
of means--is essential. Our goal is to create the best possible result
with a certain frugality of means." Once again, this interest in
obtaining the maximum result with a minimum of means leads the
architects to note that their approach is particularly well suited to
current ecological concerns. Denis Valode and Jean Pistre's sense of
efficiency has proven to be far more durable and better adapted to the
demands of contemporary architecture than the many flamboyant styles
that have come and gone since they started working together. Their words
are in perfect harmony with their ideas--they avoid excessive rhetoric
but when they talk about buildings they do so with passion and with
clear ideas and methods, often involving their aesthetic sense developed
through the world of art.Denis Valode and Jean Pistre oversee one of the
most successful architectural offices in France, working on prestigious
towers, hospitals, and research facilities, but also on shopping centers
and sports venues. Nor are their projects limited to France--they have
worked in China, Russia, and numerous other countries. The pair first
worked together in 1978 and created Valode & Pistre in 1980. Today the
office employs 200 people and provides interior, architectural, and
urban design as well as engineering services. These projects highlight
the success of the office in breaking through the barriers that usually
separate architects who work on privately funded projects and public
ones in France.
