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Mon, September 8, 2008 |
Last Updated: September 05,2008 3:34:15 pm
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September 4th, 2008, By Scott Tavener
Le Phare
 To the lighthouse The NewsStanding on Parisian rooftops looking out at the city, North Americans typically remark, "you can see everything." Why can you see everything? Because European cities are low. The skyscraper fad never really gained traction in Europe. However, regardless of height restrictions, Paris does have a have-its-cake-and-eat-it-too section: La Défense. Behind the NewsParis's almost incongruent business section, La Défense has a collection of taller than average buildings. Soon, it will add Le Phare (or Tour Phare) to the skyline. Designed by Morphosis, the forthcoming office building will stand approximately 300 metres tall. Currently, the tallest building in Paris is the 324 metre Eiffel Tower. Another impending structure, Tour Generali, will become the second tallest in the city upon its 2011 completion, making Phare third.
Vaguely resembling a sail from afar, Phare will have a unique aesthetic, curving progressively inward from the base on one side while shooting relatively straight up on the other. Its roundness effuses malleability -- apropos considering its function in the area's revamp -- while its rectangular base tempers its visual dalliances. Upon closer inspection, the futuristic looking façade has an arresting fluidity, enhanced by the curvature of the glass. Strikingly modern, Le Phare will drastically change the area's cityscape. Despite the unordinary height and innovative look, Phare's most compelling aspect is its progressive environmental consciousness. Wind powered -- to an extent, at least -- Le Phare can largely heat and cool itself. Furthermore, its much-talked-about double skin will purportedly keep its innards cool. Literally translating to "The Lighthouse," Le Phare is fittingly a beacon of modernity in an evolving district of a historic city. Naturally, its design is inherently contentious amongst local purists, though this has not stopped a slew of tall building proposals arriving in its wake. If all goes according to plan, Le Phare will be completed in 2012. -S.T. Comments
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