Teachers and Architects : Laurent Gaudu, Meriem Bekkoucha

Partnership : Audrey Leduc

Jean Jaures Avenue connects two important boulevards in Toulouse; “Canal du Midi” and Lazard Carnot Boulevard. Currently composed by six lanes and two sidewalks the avenue is for 600m long and 50m wide. It constitutes an urban pathway largely used since its creation at the beginning of 1900’s, as it connects the rail station to the city center. The increasing population in Toulouse since the 1960’s has conducted to peri-urbanization which opens up the debate on urban densi cation. Jean Jaures Avenue constitutes a major densi cation spot within the city, its proportions allowing for vertical constructions. Besides the question of urban densi cation, building on Jean Jaures Avenue cannot be done without considering future potential urban projects and not forgetting the original design of the avenue destined to be like Barcelona’s “Ramblas”. Despite being an important avenue on the urban scale it is also a major pathway of the neighborhood.

In answer to the Air France building located at the intersection of Jean Jaures Avenue and Lazare Carnot Avenue a ten- oors residential building is considered on the opposite corner. The rst oor is physically and visually accessible to the public and the building rises like a gurehead at the beginning of the avenue. The building is simultaneously public and private, mixing hotel rooms/apartments and private apartments. The hotel apartments respond to a need of temporary accommodation in this attractive district where tourism and professional activities coexist. On the other hand, private apartments answer to the current need of urban densi cation. The hotel is accessible from Jean Jaures Avenue highly frequented, while the private apartments are accessible on the other side from Septs street.