France in Focus

I could imagine an architect chucking all his model houses on a cardboard box along with a pot of glue (that burst open in transit) with a note to the planning dept to choose what they wanted. Well, Albania does these things literally.
https://www.dezeen.com/2024/11/20/noa-a ... a-albania/

To the other side of the Adriatic Sea, where squirrels dare..... a Bosco Verticale. It helps of course, for the green image of the city of Milan, but not enough to compensate for the million hectares of forest being cut down.

Polarengineer wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2024 5:18 pm I could imagine an architect chucking all his model houses on a cardboard box along with a pot of glue (that burst open in transit) with a note to the planning dept to choose what they wanted. Well, Albania does these things literally.
https://www.dezeen.com/2024/11/20/noa-a ... a-albania/

Great if you like different (ugly)
How on earth do they intend to maintain the facade with all those sloping appendages?

The last Maire of Saint Malo wanted this monstrosity to house the maritime museum. Fortunately there was an outcry and it was turned down. However, the preliminary work cost millions ... the architect is Japanese

There was another horror planned by the same Maire : a 17 storey glass tower for businesses, social and non-social housing by the station in Saint Malo. It would have dominated everything else in the area and would have been seen for miles. We all signed a petition and the idea was scrapped.

Polarengineer wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2024 5:18 pm I could imagine an architect chucking all his model houses on a cardboard box along with a pot of glue (that burst open in transit) with a note to the planning dept to choose what they wanted. Well, Albania does these things literally.
https://www.dezeen.com/2024/11/20/noa-a ... a-albania/

I quite like it.

So do I< Not sure I would want to live there though - but that would apply to just about any multi-storey city building.

Cleaning and maintenance? Like a lot of other difficult structures - ropes and harnesses - good business for the French Petzl company.

I worked at this one



I wonder how long they will last for - both in terms of taste/eyesore value and construction/early failure of materials.

The Tricorn Centre in Portsmouth was an example of "brutalist" architecture. Built in the 60s, it was finally demolished in 2004 having fallen into disrepair.
It was one of the most hideous examples of 1960s concrete jungle designs and was not loved by the locals.