(PARIS) - Hines, a global real estate investment, development and property manager, along with Paris La Défense, Europe's leading business district1, and AG Real Estate, has completed the delivery of HEKLA, representing an office of the future. The result of 10 years of collaboration between Ateliers, the world renowned architect Jean Nouvel’s agency, in response to a competition initiated by Paris La Défense In 2012. HEKLA was built by Bateg, a subsidiary of VINCI Construction France, and acquired by investors Amundi Immobilier and Primonial REIM.
On Thursday, December 1, 2022, the inaugural event took place at the building with Joëlle Ceccaldi-Raynaud, Mayor of Puteaux, Georges Siffredi, President of Paris La Défense and the Hauts-de-Seine Department, and Jean Nouvel in attendance.
The first office tower designed by Jean Nouvel in Paris La Défense
In the skyline of Paris La Défense, HEKLA was designed by Jean Nouvel and inspired by the “forumme triangular building” in shades of amber, spanning 49 floors and 220 meters in height. Its façade, made from solar panel glass, covers 45,000 square meters making it a distinguishing feature.
A package designed for new ways of working
HEKLA was developed to meet the new aspirations of employees in their workplace. Its design also meets the requirements of companies that want their location to reflect their ESG policy with a number of features including generous interior spaces to aid occupier comfort, high ceilings, double hall reception with a lobby, 2,500 square meters of outdoor space including 650 square meters of roof space, 50% of which is vegetated, an additional wooden sheltered roof terrace, and a suspended garden. Furthermore, occupiers benefit from unobstructed views across the capital, the business district, the Bois de Boulogne and western Paris.
HEKLA has been designed to accommodate several companies with flexible floor spaces of approximately 1,700 square meters allowing for many layout configurations. In terms of connectivity, HEKLA can be reached on foot in less than 5 minutes from the station Cœur Transport - La Défense Grande Arche, located 300 meters away. Its large parking lot accommodates 600 bicycles advocating for tenants to commute by bicycles or scooters. Finally, HEKLA has direct car access to 52 Avenue du Général de Gaulle, a rare amenity in the business district.
An operation combining land sobriety and a controlled ecological footprint
HEKLA is in an area that aims to become the first post-carbon business district in the world. Its very small land footprint of 1,900 square meters also demonstrates the importance of high-rise best-in-class construction, in the context of reducing artificialization.
HEKLA aims for triple certification: HQE Exceptional, BREEAM Excellent and LEED Platinum, as well as the Effinergie+ label for energy performance.
Healthy spaces
The tower focuses on the health and well-being of its future users and aims to obtain the WELL label at the Gold level. It is equipped with a unique air handling system, controlled stage by stage thanks to the installation of independent mini-air handling units enabling good air quality and a healthy working environment.
A lively place in a newly transformed neighborhood
HEKLA has been designed in the image of a hotel to offer its users optimal living and working conditions. Two vast lobbies, an auditorium of 250 seats with an abundance of natural light, a "welcome café" with accompanying barista, concierge services, a business center, five distinct areas for leisure across three floors including a contemporary café, brasserie, kiosks, bistro, and food court alongside a fitness center, a wellness area, private lounges, coworking spaces and also a sky bar with a barista accessible to those on the 47th and 48th floors. In total, HEKLA provides nearly 7,000 square meters dedicated to amenities
In the immediate vicinity of the Westfield Les Quatre Temps shopping center and residential buildings including Défense 2000, HEKLA is located in a dynamic mixed-use environment.
Finally, the tower is the new emblem of an urban sector spanning five hectares of land as part of a total redesign called ‘The Rose of Cherbourg’. At the initiative of the public developer, Paris La Défense, the transformed neighborhood opens onto the city center of Puteaux reconnecting it to La Défense. Based on a mixed-use concept to attract diverse uses including office, student housing and retail, while encouraging biodiversity, the destination is designed to be lively during the day and in the evening. Alongside HEKLA, 400 student housing units were designed by Jean Nouvel.
At the foot of the HEKLA Tower, the former road ring is transformed in the spirit of the New York High Line, into a 500-meter-long pedestrian promenade, accessible for cyclists, offering greenery, sports and leisure facilities. The adjoining 1.3-hectare set of hanging gardens will likely become a popular destination in Paris La Défense.
1 Source EY-ULI Survey
About Tour HEKLA
A first office tour designed by Jean Nouvel in Paris La Défense, HEKLA was co-developed by Hines and AG Real Estate on behalf of Primonial REIM and Amundi Immobilier. It deploys 76,000 square metres of offices and services across 49 floors, punctuated by terraces on all levels and equipped with a wooded and sheltered roof terrace. Aiming for ambitious certifications and labels, some of which have already been obtained, it can accommodate up to 5,800 people and offers new experiences in the workplace in optimal conditions
About Hines
Hines is a global real estate investment, development, and property manager. The firm was founded by Gerald D. Hines in 1957 and now operates in 28 countries. We manage a $92.3B portfolio of high-performing assets across residential, logistics, retail, office, and mixed-use strategies. Our local teams serve 634 properties totaling over 225 million square feet globally. We are committed to a net zero carbon target by 2040 without buying offsets
Since entering Europe in 1991, Hines has grown its European platform to include offices in 17 cities as well as a presence in 79 cities in 14 countries. Hines oversees investment assets under management valued at approximately €25.3 billion and provides third-party property-level services totaling 4.7 million square metres in Europe, in Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom.
To learn more about Hines, visit www.hines.com and follow @Hines on social media.
¹Includes both the global Hines organization as well as RIA AUM as of June 30, 2022.
