Les Échelles du Baroque

Les Échelles du Baroque is a residential complex in Paris's 14th arrondissement, completed in 1985 by Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura as part of an urban renewal project near Montparnasse station. The ensemble consists of three buildings enclosing a circular plaza, complemented by two additional squares, one elliptical and one shaped like an amphitheater. The architecture draws on Baroque elements to break up the rigidity of industrial building methods and create a lively façade. The elliptical side of the complex is especially striking, with a glass façade and rhythmically arranged columns that function as bay windows. In all, the site offers 274 apartments across seven floors, with shops and studios on the ground floor as well.