The Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile, the only skyscraper hotel in Paris to offer panoramic views of the city of lights and its monuments, is also one of the largest and tallest hotels in the city. A Paris landmark, the 36-storey hotel has 995 rooms and suites, and is connected to the Palais des Congrès, one of the city’s leading convention centres.

The hotel recently underwent a major renovation, where all 995 rooms were refurbished, and the drainage solution upgraded. The new drainage system installed at this luxury hotel also represents a landmark: the Hyatt is the first high-rise building to benefit from the single stack, modular and acoustic Nicoll Chutunic high-rise buildings solution for soil and waste disposal. This high hydraulic performance PVC system replaced the 36 steel stacks that were previously in place at the hotel.

For Yacine Lasgaa, Project Manager, CVC plumbing, the BALAS Group, there were two priorities for this project: to install the best possible solution and to manage the installation without inconveniencing the hotel or its guests. “This site presented challenges linked to the height of the building, as well as the need to keep the hotel’s sanitary system functioning without interruption”, he says. “We phased the site in four 8-storey sections, with hijacks and Nicoll temporary stacks that were very efficient.”

Yacine Lasgee confirme that installation time for the new solution was reduced by close to 50%, thanks to the lightweight nature of PVC, the modularity of the Maxicompact, and the prefabricated components. The Nicoll Chutunic solution also includes a visit stamp on the saddle branch that will simplify maintenance.

The high flow rate and acoustic performance of the Chutunic solution were key factors in persuading the consulting firm Conseils & Ingénierie, and the BALAS Group to replace the 36 steel stacks with the system from Nicoll. The ease of installation also saved significant time on site, managed by Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France Rénovation Privée.

By increasing the network capacity, the Chutunic system, coupled with horizontal Chutaphone branches and Maxicompact, reduced the need for vent pipes, enabling significant space savings in the shafts along the 154 metres of the Parisian high-rise. This bespoke system, developed and customised for the Hyatt Regency Hotel, also lead to a patent registration.

“Lightweight, robust, modular and economical, the Nicoll Chutunic PVC pipe solution appeared to us as a better alternative to cast iron or steel”, says Cyrille Bader, Director, Conseils & Ingénierie. “The capacity of the R&D and technical support service to invest in a high value added technological solution – with performance numbers as a proof – as well as the simplified installation methods, convinced all stakeholders in the decision process. The Hyatt site is, to my knowledge in France, one of the first rehabilitations of a luxury high-rise to benefit from a single stack drainage system, which is both economical and highly performant.

the installation speed and simplicity that reduces risks of installation mistakes, as well as the numerical model securing plans, the off-site pre-assembly optimising waste management, and the flexibility to stick to the procurement schedule while limiting the on-site stocks”

– Akim Bouhouita, Site Manager, Hyatt, Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France Rénovation Privée