Carlo Ratti Associati has unveiled its proposal in the Pershing Paris 17 area for Reinventer Paris, which is the outcome of a research on hyper-flexibility in the current use of the built environment. “Un Poumon Urbain”, Carlo Ratti Associati’s proposal was submitted for the Pershing Area in the Reinventer Paris competition. Carlo Ratti Associati will develop Pershing Square 17 in collaboration with local architect Philippe Rahm Architectes.

The project consists in a unique bridge-building of about 39,400 square-meters, which includes different functions and promotes a “sharing paradigm”. This results in an array of spaces for co-living, co-making, and co-working: from social housing to hotels and offices, to laboratories and Fab-Labs.

In addition to that, the building will employ technologies which will turn it into the “green lung” of the entire district. Thanks to both electrostatic precipitators, filtration devices that can eliminate fine particles, and coatings with self-cleaning properties, the project can transform the polluted air coming from the underlying Boulevard Périphérique - Paris‘ famously-congested ring road - into clean air.

''Un Poumon Urbain'' will also be able to stock and generate energy, employing organic photovoltaic devices as well as an intelligent platform to control the building’s lighting, heating, and cooling systems. Energy will be sourced in different ways, ranging from wind-turbines in the car tunnel, activated by moving vehicles, to "mechanical bumps" in the parking areas and in the deceleration lanes at the exit of the structure.

The terrain is occupied by a parking lot for buses with 37 places, 6 of which are dedicated to the station that serves Beauvais airport. It is important to study the means of reconstituting the parking lot and bus station in the operation. Implementation of the bridge building (location and load distribution, treatment of the underside of the building) will necessarily take into account the specific prescriptions for maintaining functiona- lity and the maintenance imperatives of the Boulevard Périphérique.

Project Facts

Architects: Carlo Ratti Associati + Philippe Rahm Architectes

Design partner: MIT Senseable City Lab, AirBnB

Landscape design: Coloco 

Coordination: Consortium Urbem Triptyque (Urbem + Triptyque + Ilions Partners)

Engineering consultant: ARUP

Research innovation: I-Lab/Air Liquide

Financial advisor: Giancarlo Scott, 

Smart building: Suez environment - Ocean

Hotel operator: Accor

All images © Carlo Ratti Associati 

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