Sou Fujimoto Architects, in collaboration with Manal Rachdi of OXO Architects, emerged as winners of the prestigious “Reinventing Paris” competition with their innovative “Milles Arbres” (Thousand Trees) proposal for the Pershing site.
The “Milles Arbres” design, a pioneering concept in sustainable urban development, proposed a mixed-use development that took the form of an undulating forest-like structure that seamlessly blended architecture with nature. As the name suggests, the plan involved the incorporation of a thousand trees into the urban environment, effectively creating a ‘floating forest’ within the heart of the city.
Milles Arbres in Paris Technical Information
- Architect1-10: Sou Fujimoto + Oxo Architectes
- Location: Paris, France
- Clients: Compagnie de Phalsbourg + OGIC
- Competition: 1st Prize Competition Entry
- Topics: Mixed-Use Building, Green Architecture
- Project Year: 2016
- Size: 55 654 m2
- Images: Courtesy of Manal Rachdi OXO Architectes + Sou Fujimoto Architects
A city like Paris must be able to reinvent itself at every moment in order to meet the many challenges facing it. Particularly in terms of housing and everything relating to density, desegregation, energy and resilience. It is important in today’s world to find new collective ways of working that will give shape to the future metropolis.
– Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris
Milles Arbres in Paris Proposal
Revitalizing Paris Winning Proposal
The results were announced today at Pavillon d’Arsenal by the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, following the jury’s deliberation on the 26th of January 2016.
The “Pershing” plot and the transferable volume over the Périphérique, Avenue de la Porte des Ternes for the construction of a bridging building, are located between the Porte Maillot and the Porte des Ternes next to the Palais des Congrès de Paris.
This currently under-used site will be at the heart of the Porte Maillot renewal operation, a strategic part of Greater Paris, linking the central business district with La Défense. This plot’s exceptional visibility and the importance of the traffic flow through its call for an innovative and cutting-edge project.
Although the terrain currently has a parking lot and a bus station, it is destined to be developed, with the possibility of being extended by developing a bridging building over the Périphérique in line with the Avenue de la Porte des Ternes. Its enhancement will go hand in hand with the different infrastructure and development projects in the sector.
This competition, launched on the 3rd of November 2014, received no less than 815 applications for 23 sites, selecting 17 teams for the site of Pershing, and consequently, 4 prestigious teams continued till the final phase. Among them, there was OMA associated with Gecina, Ferrier / Chartier Dalix associated with BNP Paribas, and the team of 3xn / Mars associated with Unibail / Bouygues Immobilier. Source by Manal Rachdi OXO Architectes.
Milles Arbres in Paris Video proposal
Milles Arbres in Paris Video plans
Notes & Additional Notes
- Manal Rachdi Oxo Architects (Paris, France)
Partners in Charge: Manal Rachdi Project Lead: Helena Frigola - Sou Fujimoto Architects (Tokyo, Japan)
Partners in Charge: Sou Fujimoto Project Lead: Marie de France - Construction Enterprise: Bouygues Construction (Paris, France)
- Structural Engineering Consultants: Arcadis (Paris) + Bollinger + Grohmann (Paris, France)
- Environmental Design and Engineering Consultants: Frank Boutté Consultants (Paris, France)
- Fluid Engineering Consultants: Barbanel (Bagneux, France)
- Landscape Architects: Moz Paysage (Lyon, France) + Atelier Paul Arene (Montreuil sur Maine, France)
- Acoustic Consultants: Lamoureux Acoustics (Paris, France)
- Economy: Bureau Michel Forgue (Paris)
- Lighting Designer: Lea (Paris, France)
