Restructuring the site of the Œuvre des Jeunes Filles Aveugles de Saint-Paul, Denfert Rochereau

The Congrégation des Sœurs Aveugles (CSA) de Saint-Paul has stood on this site of the avenue Denfert-Rochereau since 1857, on which date it was bequeathed the former property of the writer Chateaubriand (1768 – 1848). Founded in the mid-19th century by Mademoiselle Anne Bergunion, the Œuvre des Jeunes Filles Aveugles (OJFA, dedicated to young blind women) runs the social and medical activities on the site.

The project was developed in several stages, from demolition, asbestos removal, and reconstruction of the two main programs, i.e., the Congrégation, nursing home, and the canteen of the Institut d’éducation sensorielle (IDES). As the architects aimed for a solid and…