"A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history,
beauty, and in the point of life." - Thomas Jefferson.

With a history stretching back over 2000 years, Paris is a physical tapestry of historical, cultural, and societal development. The richness and qualities of Paris are present as much in its facades, boulevards, squares and urban landscape as it is in the people itself. For near 2000 years, the built landscape has provided the opportunity for humans to flourish, imagine and build their culture. Culture may be created by man but lives on as much through buildings and parks as it does through successive generations.

Despite being the most romanticised city in the world, Paris is still affected by its share of social unrest, growing disillusionment and inequality. Lacklustre integration, homelessness and a marginalised society are frequently overlooked by the opportunities and potential coming into Paris, in favour of the creation of status and prestige.

With the Olympic games coming to Paris in 2024, the opportunity has arisen to address these problems through a socially sustainable approach and intervention. Along with an opportunity to revitalise the forgotten urban structures that form the backdrop of many deindustrialised European cities including Paris.

The following architectural thesis addresses the social issues through the exploration of opportunistic, emphatic and generous architecture. It investigates concepts of tectonics, transformation, catalyst architecture and social sustainability. The main notion being change. Change from the past and the present towards a brighter future along with a general wish for generosity in a social, sensory and architectural sense.