A building permit application has been submitted for the Acacia building (PB 26). It is located in Puteaux, in the heart of the La Défense business district. It is situated in the Michelet district, between the La Défense esplanade and Cours Michelet, at 13 Esplanade du Général de Gaulle.

The main entrance to the building is directly from the esplanade, at pedestrian level. There are also other entrances on the Cours Michelet side. Part of the building is located above the ‘sculptors' lane’, which provides access to its delivery area.

The building consists of two parts:

• Building A, which runs along the esplanade.
• Building B, located at the corner of the esplanade and Cours Michelet.

The Acacia building was designed in the 1980s by Italian architect Gino Valle. While the Michelet neighbourhood has changed significantly in recent years (with the renovation or demolition of other buildings in the area), Acacia remains one of the last original buildings still standing.

The project aims to respect and enhance the original architecture, in particular:

• the stone façade, which will be completely cleaned and repaired if necessary;
• the general shape of the building, which will not be altered.

To modernise the building while respecting its style:

• a new opening will be created on the main façade to bring in more light and improve the reception area;
• bronze-coloured metal canopies will be added above the entrances to make them more visible;
• the windows will be replaced with more efficient models, while retaining the current appearance.

The project includes:

• a larger and brighter reception hall;
• renovation of the private restaurant;
• creation of a contemporary café reserved for office users.

The building, which had virtually no planting, will incorporate several new green spaces:

• a green terrace on the 2nd floor, on the south side;
• a green rooftop on the top floor, with a section accessible to building users.

A large bicycle storage area will be created, including:

• storage space,
• lockers,
• showers and toilets.

Access will be via the Voie des Sculpteurs and the Cours Michelet.

The main entrance on the Esplanade side will be modernised. The areas around the building will also be refreshed:

• cleaning and repainting of the walls on Voie des Sculpteurs,
• subsequent renovation of the shopping arcade (floors, walls, ceilings and entrance facades).