Image: SOM / Luxigon
“The tower at Charenton-Bercy will become one of the most sustainable buildings in Europe," said Skidmore Owings and Merrill’s Yasemin Kologlu about the French government-backed project. Kologlu is an associate director of the international architecture firm that was part of the team to unveil the proposed development in Cannes this week, at leading property event MIPIM. And once complete, it is hoped that the building will also be one of the first to be accredited with the International WELL Building Institute’s WELL Community Standard, which seeks to recognize health-focused and well-integrated communities.
The design of the proposed 180-metre skyscraper, which will house a mixture of private residential apartments and commercial hotel space, is part of a wider environmental strategy, and sustainable elements will include rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling and waste-to-energy conversion.
Image: SOM / Ateliers 2/3/4 / AREP Group
The zero-energy project, which will also provide social housing as part of its remit as well as co-living units for students and seniors, will be accessible via a landscaped garden bridge leading from the River Seine. A third of the site will be given over to green space, with another third filled by buildings with green roofs. The developer has also committed to planting one tree on site per residential unit.
The green theme continues with so-called ‘gardens in the sky’ that will run down the sides of the tower in green bands, and these will link with a tree-filled plaza at the base of the tower accommodating shops and open-air cafés.
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