AXA Investment Managers – Real Assets launches the construction of Stories

AXA Investment Managers – Real Assets, acting on behalf of institutional investor clients, has launched the construction of Stories, a 62,000-square-meter (667,000 square-foot) office complex, located in Saint-Ouen, at the gate of Paris and visible from the city’s ring road.

VINCI Immobilier has been mandated as delegated project manager, with delivery expected in 2021.

Designed by Chartier-Dalix architects, the completed Stories development will be an “urban village” planned with the end users in mind, with an emphasis on open meeting places, brightness and outdoor space. All internal common areas and work floors will be integrated around a large 6,000-square-meter (65,000 square-foot) courtyard, serving as an outdoor village square. The working and wellness areas will remain connected to the external environment with numerous accessible roof terraces totaling 3,000 square meters (32,000 square feet) and double-height loggias.

Spread across seven levels including a service base, the completed complex will benefit from a flexible configuration and offer open common spaces designed by Saguez & Partners, to connect places and people, fostering an environment of experimentation, allowing numerous alternative meeting space options within the scheme. Stories offers flexible interior spaces to best fit the wishes of future users.

Located in Saint-Ouen, on the northern outskirts of Paris, Stories will benefit from excellent accessibility by RER and bus, which will be further improved from 2020 with the extension of metro line 14. Stories will also feature alongside the “Coulée verte” elevated walkway linking St-Ouen to Porte Pouchet, in line with its emphasis on the outdoors and allowing easy access from Paris by bicycle.

“Stories is a unique urban village located in an area benefitting from significant regeneration, which will be further enhanced through the Grand Paris infrastructure project,” said Germain Aunidas, head of European development AXA IM – Real Assets. “The attractive combination of Stories’ location, flexibility and specification make this new development a unique opportunity and we’re confident that the completed project will attract strong tenant interest.”