Hamonic+Masson & Associés is Gaëlle Hamonic, Jean-Christophe Masson and, since, 2013, Marie-Agnès de Bailliencourt. The practice was founded in 1997, was nominated for the Mies van der Rohe prize in 2001, and in 2002 was awarded the Nouveaux Albums de la Jeune Architecture (NAJA). They became recognised by the general public in 2003 by designing the Maison Métal for the Parc de la Villette. It was an event that placed Hamonic + Masson at the crossroads of art and architecture, a flexible place that allows for some adventurous undertakings. It opened a series of exhibitions and staged events such as co-curating the French Pavilion at the 2008 Venice Biennale and at the City of Architecture and Heritage, etc. In 2012, the practice received the “prix spécial AMO Saint-Gobain” for the construction of 62 social housing units on rue Villiot in Paris’ 12th arrondissement.
The firm develops projects throughout France and has some fifteen realisations to its credit. It works with public and private contractors and strives to act in all types of contexts and fields (e.g. housing, public facilities, business, offices, infrastructure, etc.). It is presently participating in the debate on height that has become such a hot topic throughout France. In 2015 the practice completed and delivered Paris’ first housing project measuring 50m since the 1970s, in the city’s Masséna district. Projects in the framework of the Grand Paris scheme are also currently being undertaken, notably the proposition for the Avenue Foch, which became one of the major projects backed by the Paris City Hall during Anne Hidalgo’s 2014 campaign for the Mayor of Paris.
Gaëlle Hamonic is vice-president of the Maison de l’Architecture en Île-de-France.
Jean-Christophe Masson has taught at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture in Versailles.
Both are founding members of the French Touch collective that federates some fifteen Parisian agencies around the theme of enhancing a certain French architecture. Since 2007, it has published the Annuel Optimiste d’Architecture amongst other titles.
In 2016 Hamonic+Masson are invited to speak at several conferences across the globe to discuss their work within the context of various themes and discourses concerning architecture on an international scale.
