French Skyscrapers designed for eVolo

Paris: City of Skyscrapers?

The eVolo Magazine 2010 Skyscraper Competition, which "recognizes outstanding ideas that redefine skyscraper design through the use of new technologies, materials, programs, aesthetics, and spatial organization" has ended, and whilst the winner was an unique concept for a 'vertical prison', the contest has seen designers from all over the world submit mind-blowing designs for skyscrapers in the future. Two innovative designs that received special mentions would, if construction, see Paris gain two fantastic structures.

Atelier Zundel et Cristea

Designed by Gregoire Zündel, Irina Cristea, Nicolas Souchko and Mario Russo, this unique-looking skyscraper would be representative of life in Paris; a city, the designers say, where "quality of life" is elevated to "the art of living."

As such, this 'tower city' would extol the Parisian virtues of "strolling about, getting lost, dreaming, living and taking advantage of beautiful weather" by being a unit "of shifting density and complete diversity, within which all activities are possible; a beautiful, attractive tower; a non-emitting and energy independent tower."

Standing 200 metres tall, the tower would have a "spatial texture", consisting of slabs stacked vertically but within the uniform design would be a "dynamic formation process utilizing an empty tube of manifold geometry. In motion, this cavity becomes a generator of space, a dynamic, fluctuating, and evolving construct."

What is clear is that tower would make an stunning addition to Paris' skyline.

This unique skyscraper, created by Jiang Yuan, Xu Yang, is designed to be placed at the confluence of la Seine and la Marne, one of the key points of the topography of Paris, is another innovative design that with three 'frames' represents three rivers trends from the site: to the center of Paris, east of Paris (Vincennes) and south-east of Paris (Ivry-sur-Seine).

Instead of merely being another place for high-profile offices, this site aims to use the different characteristic of the vertical context at different heights to attract three public programs.

The projects proposed are;

At the top: a museum on the top facing with the grand “frames” taking the skyline of Paris as the background of the exposition space.

In the middle, there is a library with a view to the bois de Vincennes – Paris’s biggest green space.

At the bottom part, one auditorium is just in front of the open-air theatre, giving a showcase to both inside and outside.

It is hoped that the skyscraper will attract other public facilities around it, making it one of the 'go to' places in the French capital, a contemporary alternative to the Eiffel Tower if you will.

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Timon Singh

Timon Singh is a graduate of Liverpool University where he received a degree in Social and Economic History. He has previously worked for BBC Magazines on BBC Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine, the publication for the popular genealogy show.

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