{"id":172497,"date":"2026-11-04T08:29:38","date_gmt":"2026-11-04T07:29:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sflparis.com\/?post_type=article-etude&p=172497"},"modified":"2026-11-04T10:29:52","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T09:29:52","slug":"lawrence-olivier-mahadoo-architect-associates-bjarke-ingels-group-and-is-leaving-the-office-we-are-already-in-the-city","status":"publish","type":"article-etude","link":"https:\/\/sflparis.com\/en\/notre-actualite\/article-etude\/lawrence-olivier-mahadoo-architecte-associe-bjarke-ingels-group-en-sortant-du-bureau-on-est-deja-dans-la-ville\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawrence-Olivier Mahadoo, Associate Architect at Bjarke Ingels Group: \u00abWhen we leave the office, we are already in the city\u00bb"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Paris, a promise kept<\/p>\n\n\n

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Having worked, among other places, in Los Angeles, Copenhagen, Rotterdam, Shanghai and New York, Lawrence-Olivier Mahadoo, an associate architect at BIG, explains why Paris remains, in his eyes, one of the most attractive cities to work in.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Does Paris still make dreams come true for those who come to work there? Quality of life, culture, the art of living, work-life balance\u2026 Sometimes, you really have to come to appreciate the capital\u2019s assets for what they truly are.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Lawrence-Olivier MAHADOO<\/p>\n\n\n

Associate architect, Bjarke Ingels Group<\/p>\n\n\n

\u00a9 Laurian Ghinitoiu<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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You have worked on three continents. What is your view of Paris today?<\/h2>\n\n\n

What strikes me is that life in France is more focused on the city than on work. In Paris, you leave the office and you\u2019re immediately in the street, among shops, cafes, and the locals. You don\u2019t have to go through an enormous parking lot before you get home. This continuity changes everything. The city naturally extends the workday, and I think that\u2019s a real difference compared to many other metropolises.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Does this particularity influence the way you design offices?<\/h2>\n\n\n

Yes. At BIG, we always approach a project on a city-wide scale. We seek to create connections with the outside world through terraces, balconies, or open spaces. In our Copenhagen headquarters, each floor opens onto a terrace that can be reached by walking around the building from the outside. In Paris, this approach takes on even more meaning because the building is embedded in an already very vibrant urban fabric. The office doesn\u2019t need to offer everything: the city already provides some of that quality of use.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Is that a difference from the large American campuses that you are familiar with?<\/h2>\n\n\n

Absolutely. In the United States, companies often have to integrate restaurants, gyms, or leisure spaces into their buildings because there is nothing around. The building becomes a small town. In Paris, these services already exist within a few minutes\u2019 walk. The campuses also exist, but they remain integrated into the city. This proximity makes the work spaces more open and, in my opinion, more pleasant to live in.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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