The art of inserting a new building into an historic city block means engaging in an open, physical dia- logue with the existing city buildings. Building onto a structure also presents an opportunity for a wideran- ging renovation project, a reclaiming of space. The new headquarters of the Fondation Jérôme Seydoux- Pathé is an unexpected presence, a curved volume glimpsed floating in the middle of a courtyard, an- chored on just a few supports. It is complimented by a group of birch trees, a floral island set in the dense mineral context of the city.