Sarkozy's Dream For A New Paris

In the summer of 2008, in much more optimistic times, the French government hired design teams of internationally known architects to put Paris back on the drawing board to re-imagine the capital as a "world class city." The teams have come up with 10 strategies for creating a metropolitan area known as Grand Paris – it's the first major redesign since the Napoleonic era.

The various ideas being proposed all seek address what most Parisian feel is wrong with the city-its public transit system saturated, its periphery spoiled by ugly housing projects, and its suburbs an undefined sprawl of disconnected towns – does not work. "It's slowly losing its vitality," says award-winning Paris architect Jean Nouvel. "What we laughingly call regional development is finished. If we want to maintain the prestige of Paris, we have to look after it."

These architectural teams, six of them French, were given the mission of envisioning the "post-Kyoto" metropolis. They were left to define the boundaries of this newly conceived Grand Paris as they saw fit, but it was to incorporate the best of sustainable design techniques, energy efficient structures, and a mix of housing for both rich and poor.

Most of the planners urged intense use of space within the limits of historic Paris. They talked of high-speed trams on top of the beltways, malls on top of subway stations, and gardens on the five square miles of rooftops in Paris. A new mixed-use neighborhood in the center of Paris could arise, they said, if only the neglected stretch of land between the Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est train stations in central Paris were freed up for private development.

President Sarkozy is expected to define which of the various plans to follow up on when they go on public view at the national architecture museum next month though current details are still a little sketchy.

Other than the image above of Roland Castro's proposed "Central Park France" and Jean Nouvel's concept, I really haven't seen anything concrete to get a good sense of just what is being proposed so I'm not sure how to critic these plans. Still, the idea to completely revamp the infrastructure, especially the transportation system is a very good idea (something we are still trying to fix here in the States). So I am looking forward to seeing more of these proposals.




Image obtained from: www.csmonitor.com

Foster + Partners Unveils Design For New Paris Community

Hermitage Plaza will create a new community to the east of La Défense, in Courbevoie, that extends down to the river Seine with cafés, shops and a sunny public plaza at its heart. Revealed by Foster+Partners at MIPIM in Cannes, the project incorporates two 969 ft buildings – the tallest mixed-use towers in Western Europe – which will establish a distinctive symbol for this new urban destination on the Paris skyline.

The result of a close collaboration with EPAD, the City of Courbevoie, Atelier de Paysage Urbain and Département de Hauts-de-Seine, the project is intended to inject life into the area east of La Défense by creating a sustainable, high-density community. Due to start on site in 2010 and complete by the end of 2014, the two towers accommodate a hotel, spa, panoramic apartments, offices and serviced apartments, as well as shops at the base.

Forming two interlocking triangles on plan, the buildings face one another at ground level. Open and permeable to encourage people to walk through the site, the towers enclose a public piazza which establishes the social focus. As they rise, the towers transform, turning outward to address views across Paris. The glazed façade panels catch the light, the sun animating different facets of the buildings as it changes direction throughout the day. The angle of the panels promotes self-shading and vents can be opened to draw fresh air inside, contributing to an environmental strategy that targets a BREEAM (Biomedical Research Experience ) ‘excellent’ rating. The diagrid structure is not only highly efficient - doing more with less - but it emphasises the elegant proportions of the towers.

A crystal-shaped podium building contains office space, with two detached satellite buildings housing a gallery and auditorium that further extend the public realm. The piazza – created by burying the existing busy road beneath a landscaped deck – slopes gently downward to the water’s edge, which is lined with new cafés and restaurants. Locking into the existing Courbevoie and EPAD masterplans, the project will reinforce the regeneration of the riverfront.

Norman Foster said:
“Hermitage Plaza will create a 24-hour community that will regenerate the riverfront and inject new life into a predominantly commercial part of the city. A light catching addition to the Paris skyline, the development will also provide a public piazza that leads down to the river’s edge to create a new destination for the city.”

Once again, Foster does not disappoint. Hermitage Plaza underscores the artistic yet design innovative and practical work which has become synonymous with Foster + Partners. This project seeks to not only be an icon but also a community anchor fostering neighborhood interaction, which is something the area really needs. I am however interested to find out what the cost estimate is right now for this project as it really doesn't look cheap.

Info and images obtained from Foster+Partners.com

The Shadowless Pyramid Of Paris

A historical breakthrough this summer in the French capital's strict planning regulations has galvanized the design for a series of new and exciting towers to be built within the city. For over thirty years, Paris' building industry has literally laid low with a ban on buildings over 120ft in height instated by Jacques Chirac during his term as mayor of Paris in 1977.

City officials unanimously voted off the ban this July to combat the city's current housing shortage and invigorate the economy. This spurred the generation of 20 new highrise designs for the city, the first of which is Herzog & de Meuron’s Le Projet Triangle to be located at Porte de Versailles in Southern Paris. The tower is a giant high glass pyramid set to revamp the city's skyline. Standing at 590 feet or 50 stories, upon its topout in 2014 it will be the third tallest building in Paris. It is designed to house offices, a conference center, a 400 bedroom hotel, restaurants and cafes all to be powered by wind and solar energy.

Though the Le Projet Triangle is an Eco-friendly structure filled with many green features and facets, what seems most impressive of all is that, according to the architects, it wont cast shadows on adjacent buildings. The trick seems to be the orientation and shape of the structure: while it look like a massive pyramid from some elevations, other perspectives show it as an ultra thin structure.

The architects have no doubt that the building will successfully integrate itself into the city's landscape and evoke the urban fabric which is one the one hand classic (echoed by the pyramidic Northern facade) and ultra-modern, shown by the thin Southern facade. The actual location of the building links what is known as "petit" and "grand parcs," the two parts of the Parc de Expositions.

I would like to start of by just saying "WOW." I love the look of the Pyramid and am impressed with the concept of not casting any shadows on the surroundings. Still, there are a few things I am concerned about. There has not been any budget set for this project yet because many of the planned green aspects of the project are still undefined as are specifics on how it will generate its own energy showing that it has not quite transitioned out of the conceptual phase. Also, I wonder how the average Parisian will take this design. The Eiffel tower and the Pyramid of the Louvre were not received well though the rest of the world praised them for being forward thinking and revolutionary, particularly as it still does not blend well with its environment.

All in all, I think that this is a very exciting project and am happy that officials in the city planning department were smart enough to realize that lifting the ban would not only help with the housing situation but enable Paris to take its place alongside other cities today showcasing their advances in architectural technology and construction.


Images obtained from www.ecofriend.org
For more info, check http://gizmodo.com/5056228/new-paris-building-casts-no-shadows-generates-electricity