Metal balconies and sun shades was the unique project by architect Christophe Rousselle in he Parisian suburb of Colombes. To create a greater sense of identity on each level for the Zac de la Marine residential complex, Paris architect Rousselle installed cantilevered balconies in an irregular formation. "The fact of offering exterior space to every apartment makes it more unique and especially if the balcony or terrace is placed so it is able to see the sky and thus fill the room with sunshine," Rousselle told Dezeen. Louvered sun screens are interspersed among the balconies to emphasise the irregularities of each facade.The edges of the floorplates, the undersides of the balconies and the sun shades are clad in ridged stainless steel panels that create distorted reflections of the sky and the surroundings. The metal surfaces break up the mass of the facades and the reflections give the building a constantly shifting appearance, while helping to increase light levels inside the apartments.The shiny metal strips stand out against the dark pigmented concrete covering the rest of the facade. Windows incorporated into the gaps between the metallic bands can be covered using sliding metal shutters. The building's function as low-cost social housing determined the choice of materials and layout, which aim to enhance the feeling of spaciousness, light and quality.
