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The Schuylkill: A €180 Million Makeover!

by Milena Radoman
The Schuylkill high-rise tower, located in the centre of Monte Carlo, is undergoing a complete
refurbishment. Sylvia Ratkowski-Pastor is at the head of this €180 million project. She is the
granddaughter of Gildo Pastor, who built Monaco's first high-rise building as a tribute to Princess
Grace...

‘‘This project is a first! It's a highly complex
renovation of the Principality's first high-rise
building, on an inhabited site in the heart of
the Carré d'Or, and it's being done in record
time’’, explains François Lallemand, who is
managing the renovation of the Schuylkill, in
close collaboration with the firm Zaha Hadid
(its late founder was the first winner of the
Pritzker Prize). The aim is threefold: to make
the 17-storey tower more secure (earthquake-
proof), more eco-friendly and to finalise its
visual identity. ‘‘It will be one of the most
beautiful buildings in Monaco,’’ promises the
architect. L’immeuble sera toujours aux tons de la rivière. Il disposera d’un espace de coworking, d’une piscine, d’une salle de gymnastique.
Un espace, avec cloisons amovibles, sera mis à la disposition des locataires pour une fête de famille ou cours particulier…
The building will still have the same river tones. It will feature a co-working space, a swimming pool and a gym. A modular room
Princess Grace, the building's patron with removable partitions will be available for tenants’ family celebrations, or for private lessons...
For owner Sylvia Ratkowski-Pastor, CEO of from top to bottom. We're going back to Connection to the thalassothermal loop
SAM Société immobilière du Soleil, there is no using raw concrete for the skeleton of the The building project, which employs as many
question of demolition in order to rebuild. Her building. Everything is going to be redone and as 300 workers, has been awarded a silver-
grandfather Gildo Pastor built the Schuylkill in consolidated: the networks, the sound and heat level Bâtiments Durables Méditerranéens de
1963 as a tribute to Princess Grace. Princess insulation, the interior of the building as well Monaco (Sustainable Mediterranean Buildings
Grace was the patron of this tower, named as the exterior façade, adding accessibility of Monaco, BD2M) certification. Oil-fired
after the river that runs through Philadelphia, for people with reduced mobility’’, explains heating is a thing of the past. ‘‘We asked to be
where she was born. ‘‘I wanted to keep the soul François Lallemand. One of the challenges connected to the thalassothermal loop, which
of my grandfather, and the concrete used is of the project is to ‘‘cut off the head’’ of the was not initially planned by the government.
of the highest quality, made from Roya sand’’, building to comply with earthquake-resistant We got the connection under the Fairmont and
explains Gildo Pastor's heir, who remembers standards. Three blocks will be clipped the loop goes to the sub-station in the Costa
walking through the building site with him as together on the 14 floor to ‘‘create a monolith’’. car park before going back up to boulevard de
th
a child. ‘‘I lived with him, and would hide for Only the top three floors will be demolished Suisse... Other buildings will benefit. It's a form
hours under his desk... I remember perfectly and rebuilt, to accommodate three luxury of public-private financing,’’ explains Sylvia
seeing him examining his plans in gigantic 450 m², 2-floor apartments. ‘‘In deference to Ratkowski-Pastor, who met with IPCC scientists
bedsheets, with his tracings covered in red. The Princess Grace, we'll use American-style iron to work on temperature scenarios and choose
office was filled with cigarette smoke during structures...’’. materials that are resistant to global warming.
meetings with his site managers’’, says Sylvia During this 12-month phase (the complete Another environmental innovation: the Schuylkill
Ratkowski-Pastor, smiling. Having grown up building project will last 40 months) the will recycle the grey water from showers and
with these constructions, she is now repeating building will be completely emptied before the swimming pool to re-inject it into toilet
the family pattern, after an initial experience the tenants can move back into their newly flushes. ‘‘This recycled water will also be used
with her mother and brother to build the Gildo renovated flats. The renovation work will be to water the gardens and clean communal
Pastor Centre. ‘‘My grandfather tested at home finished between April and June 2027. areas. We are currently negotiating with SMA
the windows that were going to be installed ‘‘For the moment, tenants are following the to supply them with water’’. This is a first for
in his buildings, which he called his ‘‘babies’’. progress of the works and sending me photos a collective building, managed by the FGWRS
I'm doing the same thing today with the from their balconies,’’ says Sylvia Ratkowski. company, of which the Pastor heiress is also
Shuylkill... Building is in our DNA’’, says this ‘‘We're working as far as possible to noise President. ‘‘This type of renovation is a sign of
very discreet businesswoman, who chose to and dust standards... There are still some Monaco's renewal, and shows the potential of
renovate the building for ecological reasons: nuisances,’’ admits the owner, who is pleased all these old buildings that need to be brought
’’Producing or destroying concrete is the most with her tenants' loyalty. ‘‘Some families have up to today's norms,’’ comments François
polluting thing you can do. I want to propose been here since the beginning! They will benefit Lallemand. But these projects come at a price:
a different approach...’’. from preferential rates when rents go up for the Schuylkill renovation is expected to cost
Technically, ‘‘each block will be cleaned out the new Schuylkill’’. 180 million euros...

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