With its iconic Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, Paris has long been famous for its storied architecture. But over the decades the French capital has seen a rise in contemporary buildings. Soon it will have yet another, thanks to one of the most exciting architecture firms in the world today. Beijing-based MAD Architects’ first residential project in Europe was recently revealed by Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo. The undulating building will be situated in Clichy-Batignolles, a former industrial neighborhood in Paris’s 17th arrondissement. In the past few years, the location has gone through a rapid revitalization, most aptly seen with such projects as the courthouse designed by Renzo Piano.
To build the new building, dubbed UNIC, MAD will collaborate with the French architecture firm Biecher Architectes. “We worked closely with the local government, city planners, and local architects in a series of workshops to ensure UNIC is a creative and iconic residential project united with the community,” said MAD’s founder and principal partner Ma Yansong in a statement. The 71,000-square-foot building will contain 13 floors and rise 164 feet in the air. Each of the floors bends outward in its own dynamic way, creating a sense that the building is floating above the ground. This scheme is, according to the firm, “an attempt to blur the boundary between the architecture and nature.”
It’s an exciting moment for the 12-year-old firm, as it continues designing some of the boldest structures around the world. UNIC, which will be no exception, is expected to be completed by 2017.
