Cemex helps complete work on Lutetia Hotel

The Lutetia hotel in Paris is distinguished both by its size and Art Deco architecture. Built in 1910, at the height of the Belle Epoque period, aristocrats preferred to stay at the luxurious hotels close to the Louvre, with the Lutetia instead becoming the go-to venue for the century’s artists and bohemian types, from Pablo Picasso to Josephine Baker.

Through more than 100 years, the Lutetia has survived multiple changes in ownership, including a German occupation during WWII and a subsequent repurposing by the Allied troops as a repatriation centre. Now, the luxury hotel is getting a make-over to bring it into the modern era while respecting its original spirit.

The distinctive Art Deco façade and glamorous salons will remain intact, but almost every other space is undergoing a complete renovation, with the rooms being modernised with brand new plumbing, electrical systems and air conditioning.

Suchan in depth undertaking is a careful process, with some of the plaster adornments being very fragile and, as is the case for all construction sites in downtown Paris, the lack of space and security requirements can complicate operations. The tons of earth excavated to build the two additional basements has to be removed from the site and concrete had to be delivered in small quantities of no more that 4 – 6 m3 a day, sometimes via crane. Adding the factor of a very short timeline, with just three years to completion, meant there was no room for mistakes.

A lighter-weight concrete was needed for the structural work in order to limit overloading and maintain the weight of the original structure. Restricted space also made it necessary to pump the concrete across a distance of up to 200 m. To tackle this constraint, Cemex employed a specialty concrete mix that met the weight requirements, while maintaining the correct consistency for pumping from a distance. Cemex had previously tested the same concrete mix on a construction site at Gare du Nord.

The grand reopening is planned for 2017.

Adapted from press release by Rebecca Bowden

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/01062016/cemex-helps-complete-work-on-lutetia-hotel-206/