The Tour Triangle, a well-inspired project?
Paris is famous for
its historic buildings and monuments; it is a kind of open-air museum. This is
obviously an asset for the tourist industry, but it is also a disadvantage because
Paris is losing out to rival world cities which are continuously modernizing…
This architectural challenge is in all Parisian architects’ minds; they have to deal with the laws that protect these buildings. While in London, the high-tech “Gherkin,” for one, has become part of the cityscape, Paris is struggling to erect modern constructions, mainly because the city doesn’t want to sacrifice any of its historic sites in the process. It takes years for architects to get their works built. Even if some do succeed in their fight with the authorities and with bureaucracy, like the LVMH Foundation, there are still too few projects. It’s such a shame that Paris is so reactionary regarding urban development...
This architectural challenge is in all Parisian architects’ minds; they have to deal with the laws that protect these buildings. While in London, the high-tech “Gherkin,” for one, has become part of the cityscape, Paris is struggling to erect modern constructions, mainly because the city doesn’t want to sacrifice any of its historic sites in the process. It takes years for architects to get their works built. Even if some do succeed in their fight with the authorities and with bureaucracy, like the LVMH Foundation, there are still too few projects. It’s such a shame that Paris is so reactionary regarding urban development...
Jean Nouvel’s Philharmonie de Paris, an amazingly
beautiful building, is located to the north-east of the city; there are no recent
buildings of any note in the actual centre of Paris.
I took a closer
look at those draconian Parisian urban-planning laws and I discovered that most
of the regulations concerning for example height and types of materials are
almost the same as they were 200 years ago, i.e. they apply to the Haussmann era!
Another obstacle
to architectural innovation is the inhabitants themselves. For example: 56% of Parisians
disapprove of the Tour Triangle project… This attitude is almost traditional. The
Eiffel tower itself was considered by many “a stain” on Paris after its opening!
The Pompidou Centre is still disliked by some. Mind you, when you see the ghastly
Montparnasse building, you have to admit that not all contemporary architecture
is brilliant…
Good news: the Tour Triangle project (180m tall) has finally been approved by the mayor of Paris Anne
Hidalgo. She is proud to sponsor “the most ecological building in the world”;
at last, a Paris council leader who believes in urban renewal?
Louis JANOT wants to become an architect and town-planner.
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