Unlike many newly proposed green skyscrapers, where sod and trees are planted level by level, a new living tower designed by three Parisian architects for their metropolis has a snaking column of dirt that rises through the tower, meaning the building’s connection to the earth is never lost.

Luis Fernandes, Cyrille Lallement and Brice Doltaire have designed the “Earth Tank Tower” to boldly bring nature back to Paris’ city streets. Citing the past innovation of bringing landscaped boulevards to the city in the 19th century as past precedent, the architects create startling images by placing their modern living Tower within the city’s historic fabric.

The Earth Tank Tower is a concrete shell filled with dirt, allowing the placement of trees and vegetation at any desired point. Almost like a tree with branches, the building grows vegetation from its core, or trunk. Though the main point of the building is to house and grow greenery, five residences can be positioned within the curves of the tower to add the additional use of living space. The apartments are linked to the building’s ample green space through outdoor staircases.

To truly turn the city into a “green utopia,” the architects propose placing towers throughout the city of Paris. Their radical skyscraper, which never loses connection to the earth, will be the kickstart the city needs, say the architects, to truly green Paris’ core.


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