U Pavayun - Villa del Sol Monaco

High above the city centre, halfway between the mountains and the sea, there is a building that nobody can fail to notice: 'U Pavayun' proudly showcases the principality’s official colours – white and red – in a way uniquely its own. By combining vivid colours inspired by nature with a bold and modern architectural concept, the building maximises the visual impact of its ventilated façades. To add thermal efficiency to the cladding’s enduring beauty, external insulation has been integrated into the façade system.

Striking and colourful: an apartment building in Monaco makes a stunning design statement with Trespa^® Meteon^® cladding

The building is located on a tightly curved street. To make the most out of the available space, the east façade is markedly convex, while on the opposite side, the building’s façades are orthogonal. Jean-Michel Ughes of ArchiStudio in Monaco was put in charge of the project by the Principality itself. The architect was keen to stick to a design concept entirely based on the stringent interaction between lines and geometric volumes. On the west side, this idea translates into what looks, at first sight, like a deliberately deconstructed pile of boxes – in stark contrast with the smooth curvature of the east-facing balconies.

Jean-Michel Ughes explains: “I was attracted to Trespa^® panels right away, as we were working on a project which is completely at odds with traditional buildings. We wanted to design façades that would set us apart – that would be more contemporary, more innovative, and ultimately more enduring”.

In addition, the ventilated Trespa^® Meteon^® façades have been designed to include external thermal insulation: the insulation material is located between the exterior walls and the Trespa^® panels. As uncommon as this technical option might be in Monaco, it comes with a crucial advantage: in a city where real estate is extravagantly expensive, every square foot counts, and external insulation – unlike its internal alternative – does not encroach on the available living space.

I was attracted to Trespa^® panels right away (…). We wanted to design façades that would set us apart – that would be more contemporary, more innovative, and ultimately more enduring”. Jean-Michel Ughes, Archi Studio.

The Trespa^® Meteon^® panels have been fastened to a two-part sub-frame: vertical sub-framing rails help achieve perfect alignment with the protruding boxes and horizontal rails support the cladding itself. Jean-François Riehl of Monégasque de Couverture, the installer in charge of the project, comments: “The complexities we were faced with derived from the need to achieve perfect alignment. Any discrepancy between the position of the panel joints and the box outlines would have been very unsightly”. The required shop drawings were made by ArchiStudio themselves. They thoroughly optimise the signature pattern of lines that sets the façades apart – to such an extent that the panel joints’ position picks up on the railings of the balconies and the edges of the adjacent window frames. Invisible panel fasteners have been used almost throughout. Exposed screws with inconspicuous, colour-matching heads were only used for the ceilings of the boxes that enclose the balconies.

The complexities we were faced with derived from the need to achieve perfect alignment. Any discrepancy between the position of the panel joints and the box outlines would have been very unsightly”. Jean-François Riehl, Monégasque de Couverture