Barthélémy Griño has transformed a 1986 office building into Lightwell, an innovative, sustainable and user-centric headquarters in La Défense, France.

Commissioned by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, this project aims to revive one of the landmarks of the Esplanade de la Défense, combining bold architectural design with high environmental standards.

Lightwell is an inviting and inspiring workplace, filled with natural light and abundant greenery. To achieve this, significant interventions were made to create a monumental atrium, expand office spaces, provide a green terrace and rooftop, and open the building for improved connectivity.

The concept was developed by overcoming substantial structural challenges without adding any weight to the existing structure, as the building sits atop an underground car park not included in the project's scope.

This project has been longlisted in the workplace project (large) category of Dezeen Awards 2025.

Studio: Barthélémy Griño
Project: Lightwell
Credits: INEX, Setec, T/E/S/S Atelier, D’ici La, Cap Horn Solutions, Oasiis, BMF, SCO, GEMO and Petit