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Post by troilus on Sept 14, 2013 15:31:20 GMT
Last night I was on Google Street View, looking at a building where F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda lived in in the 20's. It was not far from the Etoile (the part of Paris they favored). It seems now to be what it was then - an apartment building; but now the entrance cannot be the same as it was then, with all that plate glass and contemporary design. I enlarged the view and scrolled above to the upper etages, however, and decided that apart from the entrance, it had to be the same building since the exterior of those upper stories conformed so much in appearance to the rest of the street. Same with the old Hotel Liberia where so many American writers stayed during the same era: sure looks different now with all that new signage since it's now a Best Western, but I bet you it's the same building.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2013 16:03:32 GMT
That's pretty much the same everywhere in the world.
In Paris, they are plaques on certain modern buildings where they are obliged to say "On this site, in 1650...." because all trace of the original building disappeared long ago. But I like symbolic geographical sites even when there is nothing left to see, knowing that I am walking on exactly the same spot where historical figures walked.
Of course, on this thread, most of those new buildings were constructed on crumbling industrial zones, so there is not much "Great" history to relate about the areas.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2013 16:40:57 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2013 14:19:12 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2013 15:20:55 GMT
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Post by anshjain97 on Oct 20, 2013 16:18:15 GMT
Really amazing thread. Can't say I like all the architecture though- although of course some of it is nice.
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Post by lagatta on Oct 20, 2013 16:18:21 GMT
Why no descriptions, Kerouac?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2013 16:36:43 GMT
Ah, because the point is not to describe or explain but simply to show that a lot of Paris was not built by Baron Haussmann nor has it remained in the Montmartre village style.
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Post by mossie on Oct 21, 2013 8:15:20 GMT
No it has developed from 1960's Brutalism to Naughties twee colour and little else, still the same characterless flats inside.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2013 7:39:23 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2013 13:07:42 GMT
A lot of recent/new developments?
Interesting square building, with flat roofs. Or which seem like flat roof, but really aren't. I like the splash of color, it's cheery.
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Post by woody77 on Nov 4, 2013 13:57:49 GMT
I like the odd angles in the building on the right of that last photo. But I'm guessing it will look pretty dated in a couple decades...
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Post by fgrsk8r1970 on Nov 4, 2013 14:40:53 GMT
I love the green - it makes it look inviting to me LOL… And agree the color splashes are fun. The last photo/building looks weird - was it still under construction or why are the 3 bottom rows different? It looks pretty ugly to me to be honest… like a toddler who couldn't fit the pieces of the building blocks together right.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2013 14:47:37 GMT
Actually, that building was finished and already occupied. Don't ask me how the architects get such strange ideas, and you wouldn't believe what else is being built in the area (Avenue de France in the 13th arrondissement).
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Post by lagatta on Nov 4, 2013 22:45:09 GMT
I remember some really ugly ones, built in the 1990s, in the 19th arrondissement and Pré St-Gervais. I imagine that those have not aged well - very garish colours.
Housing units really do need balconies. I like those on the grey and salmon building, as they seem to have some distance from one another, so you don't feel as if you've invited your neighbours over every day after work.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2014 15:44:15 GMT
I continue to be drawn back to the southeast corner of the 13th arrondissement, because it is still ungoing all sorts of new construction but also the buildings from 10 years ago seem to be aging well and gaining some character along the way. I'm sure that the apartments are great with obviously all modern conveniences, but I'm not sure that I would want to live there because except for metro line 14 and the T3a tram, I think that local transportation is not as good as it should be. Yes, there are always the buses, but I hate how erratic they are -- sometimes you wait 3 minutes and sometimes you wait 18 minutes. I think I will always prefer the rail systems.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2014 15:47:45 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2015 12:33:37 GMT
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Post by lagatta on Mar 7, 2015 17:39:52 GMT
I like the apartment blocks (from last August) with large, wraparound balconies that almost echo Deco "Streamlined" style.
Where is that development, with the colourful Wallace fountains?
I would NOT want to work in the last building you posted.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2015 18:09:33 GMT
All of the things in August are in the Bibliothèque François Mitterrand area in the 13th.
The last building is the new Philharmonie de Paris by Jean Nouvel.
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Post by lagatta on Mar 7, 2015 23:44:56 GMT
Interesting. Usually I like Nouvel's buildings. Perhaps it would be different in person. Does the network of metal things change with the light, like L'Institut du monde arabe? It just seemed very massive in the photo.
How is the BFM area in terms of amenities? There was nothing there around the Bibliothèque when I was last there.
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Post by lola on Mar 8, 2015 3:27:20 GMT
Like it. Thanks, K.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2015 5:55:55 GMT
Oh, the Bibliothèque area is really quite nice now for people who don't mind a modern setting. It's full of life due to the all of the students of the Diderot campus of the university, so it has a big Gibert Joseph student bookstore plus all of the usual Monoprix, sports store, bars, etc. On the main street, avenue de France, there are nonstop restaurants and bars that are mostly busy during the day because the avenue is lined with corporate headquarters. As for the Philharmonie, yes it changes colour constantly. Here's a not very good picture of it at night. imageshack.com/a/img673/2289/gp9JHM.jpg
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2015 5:38:52 GMT
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Post by mossie on Mar 9, 2015 15:07:14 GMT
Some architects have really vivid imaginations, one wonders what they are taking to enhance their vision to this.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2015 15:29:19 GMT
I never understand why the governmental authorities are so surprised at the cost once these buildings are finally completed. This was budgeted at 173 million euros but has ended up costing 380 million, and construction is not even complete yet, even though it was inaugurated in January -- with Jean Nouvel refusing to attend.
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Post by htmb on Mar 9, 2015 20:52:33 GMT
I read where he demanded to have his name removed from much of the design.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2015 20:58:18 GMT
It would probably cost 500 million if they catered to his demands.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2016 15:47:08 GMT
So, the new Palais de Justice in Paris is beginning to take shape since they started putting the windows on. All of the windows should be on by December 2016. The building is supposed to be "delivered" on 15 June 2017 and they will spend six months moving 2000 employees from the old Palais de Justice on Ile de la Cité and well as all of the courthouses located in the 20 mairies around the city. It will reputedly be the largest courthouse in the world with 90 courtrooms, all benefiting from natural lighting, which is a rarity for big city courtrooms. The entrance has a 9-story atrium, and there are outside gardens (reserved for the employees) on the 8th, 19th and 29th floors. 323 trees were planted on the terraces in May. The walls and ceilings of the courtrooms will be in beechwood with white seating (how long will it stay white?). Naturally, lots of employees are grumbling (as they always do) about such a radical move, especially since the T3b tramway line at the foot of the building won't be in service until the end of 2018 and the new Porte de Clichy metro station on line 14 won't open until mid-2019, so the only metro station at the beginning will be on the overloaded line 13. Wait and see. It will be the 2nd tallest building in Paris after the Tour Montparnasse until the Tour Triangle and the Tour Duo are built, respectively in the 15th and 13th arrondissements.
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Post by mossie on Sept 20, 2016 14:46:48 GMT
The window cleaning bill must be frightful.
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