We recently heard about an ambitious proposal drawn up by Vincent Callebaut to transform Paris into a sustainable city. Planning Korea has also taken a stab at imagining what form architecture in the city could take in its proposal dubbed L’air Nouveau de Paris (or New Paris air), and it's just as bonkers as Callebaut's concept.
The Seoul, South Korea-based group of architects and artists designed L’air Nouveau de Paris following Paris City Hall's initiative of encouraging new ideas for the city's future.
L’air Nouveau de Paris brings to mind Brussels' existing Atomium – albeit on a grander scale. The renders depict a large complex of egg-like metallic spheres which are supported by long stems and that rise to varying heights. According to the firm, the towers would comprise a mixture of residential units, office spaces, hotels, and commercial facilities. Movement between each building would also be possible via a series of interconnected bridges.
The proposal is clearly conceived more as a jumping-off point to spark imagination than a concrete plan, and is therefore short on hard details. Envisioned for the near future somewhere around the middle of this century, it takes up a good chunk of real estate in the Ternes-Villiers area in Paris' 17th Arrondissement – an area of 3,891 sq m (almost 41,882 sq ft), to be exact.
Planning Korea also mentions in its press release that the design is sustainable, though doesn't expand on exactly how. Frankly though, making the buildings self-sufficient energy-wise is just one of a long list of obstacles preventing the concept being realized. This one's probably best filed under food-for-thought.
Source: Planning Korea
