The University of Chicago (UC) John W. Boyer Center in Paris is now open, marking Studio Gangs first built project in France, where it operates a satellite studio. The 25,460-square-foot building provides UC students and faculty classrooms, study spaces, and more in the citys illustrious 13th arrondissement. The new building occupies a prominent corner lot. From the street, its defined by Brise-soleil made up of 900 cylindrical stone batons. These batons were coated in Lutetian limestone, a common building material in Paris dating back to antiquity.The Center in Paris is designed as a vertical campus. Its multilevel atrium provides all the spaces with light and offers visual connections across programs, Jeanne Gang said. We wanted the building to amplify social interactions, scholarly collaborations, and cultural exchange between the University and the City of Paris.The facade is defined by Brise-soleil made up of 900 cylindrical stone batons. (Fabrice Fouillet)Aside from its Brise-soleil, the buildings general massing was engineered to fully harness the suns energy. It was designed according to the suns path to maximize daylight. The structure is made of mass timber which overall, alongside its stone masonry facade, makes for a sustainably harvested composition. The masonry was sourced from a quarry just 25 miles from the building site, further reducing embodied carbon. Photovoltaic panels were interspersed on the roof, generating clean energy and reducing the Boyer Centers reliance on the grid.Writing for AN last May, William Richards said the stone masonry facade is meant to evoke UCs campus, 4,100 miles west in Chicagos South Side.The structure is made of locally sourced mass timber, as seen in this progress photograph taken before the facade was installed. (Corentin Lespagno)As noted, Studio Gang described the John W. Boyer Center as a vertical campus anchored by a central atrium that ties the structure together, physically and visually. Inside, there are nine classrooms, a laboratory teaching space, a research institute for visiting academics, and an amphitheater for lectures, conferences, and large classes. Outside, the Boyer Center has a shared courtyard, terraces, and a loggia; providing visitors a verdant escape from the metropolis. An RER train station sits directly below grade, which pedestrians can access through a portal. The train station is emphasized with a new artwork by Chicago-based artist Tony Lewis.A double-height event space is sited on the Boyer Centers top floor. There, an adjoining biodiverse rooftop garden is also located, offering a vibrant milieu with stunning views of Paris for guests during conferences, cultural events, and social gatherings.The building has myriad spaces for social gatherings. (Corentin Lespagnol)Timber details and construction are always a part of the classroom design at the Boyer Center (Fabrice Fouilleet)A rounded wood reception desk makes a statement when students and faculty enter the building. (Fabrice Fouillet)Studio Gangs project was part of a new development by PARC Architectes that brings a new mixed-use residential building to Pariss Left Bank, a neighborhood known for its high volume of students and higher education spaces.The Boyer Center isnt Studio Gangs first collaboration with UC. In 2016, the Chicago office completed a 400,000-square-foot residential building atop UCs South Side campus.Looking ahead, Studio Gang is working on a new mixed-use tower in Pariss La Dfense.