Paris City Council granted final approval to Gustafson Porter + Bowman's landscape design for the Eiffel Tower site. The project is the result of a 2019 international competition that sought to redesign the 2-kilometre axis leading up to the Eiffel Tower, connecting Place du Trocadéro, Palais de Chaillot, Pont d'Iéna, Champ de Mars and the Military Academy. The landscape plan redefines this iconic green space in Paris by increasing green areas by 35% and adding over 200 new trees, in addition to pedestrianizing the Iena bridge.
Architecture education is not only about learning how to design and construct buildings but it gives a whole new perspective on our built environment and on how design can contribute to create quality spaces and experiences. Moreover, a big percentage of this design thinking can be used by professional architects as a resource to create other spatial configurations that vary from the traditional building, opening up to a diverse world of possibilities in terms of spatiality and materials.
As the restoration and rebuilding of Notre DameCathedral progress, heritage experts are faced with essential and sensible decisions regarding the future architectural expression of the elements that need replacing. The latest developments saw France’s National Heritage and Architecture Commission approving a contemporary take on the cathedral’s interior, involving a re-arrangement of the furniture items, as well as the inclusion of contemporary artworks and light projections. The proposal was put forward by the diocese of Paris as a way of creating a better visitor experience; however, critics of the decision argue that it would diminish the architectural value of the Gothic monument.
Embroiled in legal battles for the better part of a decade, a notably tall (not to mention pyramid-shaped) mixed-use tower is a major step closer to joining the famously short Parisian skyline.. Image Courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron
After more than a decade of financing snags, legal scuffles, and more than a soupçonof backlash, initial work on the Herzog & de Meuron-designed Tour Triangle (Triangle Tower) is set to commence by the end of this year at a site near Parc des Expositions de Porte de Versailles in the 15th arrondissement of Paris. However, last-ditch efforts to block the project are underway.
The city of Parishas announced that it will be investing €250 million to upgrade its cycling infrastructure and expand its network of bike lanes with aims of becoming “100% cyclable”. The French capital's investment comes through Bike Plan, a 5-year-long urban project that will reinforce the presence of bikes and provide safe and well connected routes for passengers and pedestrians.