La Serre high-rise residential building,
design: MVRDV
La Serre is a project by the Dutch office MVRDV, which will be built in the ZAC Léon Blum area near Paris. The building is intended to combine residential and commercial functions, while fitting in with the tenets of responsible construction and enriching the urban space with greenery. The symbolic start of the construction was marked by a ceremony during which 390 trees were planted.
La Serre residential skyscraper in the ZAC Léon Blum area near Paris - the skyscraper is to contain 18 floors, and its facades will be covered with vegetation
visualizations: Engram © MVRDV Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, Nathalie de Vries
A green oasis combining nature and urban living
La Serre is intended to serve as an urban oasis, demonstrating that a modern approach to architecture can create a space that allows residents to be in close contact with nature without sacrificing urban living. The skyscraper is to contain 18 stories, and its facades will be covered with vegetation. The building will contain 190 apartments, about 30 percent of which will be used for social housing. Each unit - from studios to four-room apartments - will have access to a private balcony or terrace. Retail and service spaces will be located on the first floor, which is expected to foster the integration of residents by offering meeting places such as cafes and restaurants.
The high-rise residential building La Serre in the ZAC Léon Blum area near Paris - diagram of balconies.
© MVRDV Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, Nathalie de Vries
A modern approach to housing from MVRDV
The La Serre project has been planned as an urban oasis, where bold architectural and landscape solutions break conventional housing patterns by harmoniously incorporating nature into the dense urban fabric.
It is nature that plays the main role here - the building merely creates a background for it. This urban oasis is not just a residential space, but a real urban square
- says Mayor André Santini.
The La Serre residential skyscraper in the ZAC Léon Blum area near Paris - white will be dominant in the project.
visualizations: Engram © MVRDV Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, Nathalie de Vries
greenery as a key element:
communal gardens and biodiversity at La Serre
Greenery is the most important element of the new project. Common gardens are planned for residents, which will include nearly 3,000 square meters of outdoor space. The vertical garden, designed by landscape architect Alice Tricon, is a unique space composed of 150 plant species. As many as 70 percent of them are native species, which were carefully selected for the building's height and sun and wind conditions. The vegetation has been chosen to support the local ecosystem. The project will be complemented by nesting boxes for birds and bats, supporting biodiversity in the area.
The high-rise residential building La Serre in the ZAC Léon Blum area near Paris - visualization of the lobby.
visualizations: OGIC © MVRDV Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, Nathalie de Vries
Twenty-five percent of the building's space is green:
An architectural fusion of nature and urban living
The architects designed the building with the idea of providing residents with close contact with nature. As much as 25 percent of the building's space is dedicated to terraces and balconies, providing an average of 15 square meters of outdoor space for each resident. Greenery, present both in the common spaces and on private balconies, will be regularly tended by an estate gardener.
The La Serre residential high-rise in the ZAC Léon Blum area near Paris - view from the street.
visuals: Engram © MVRDV Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, Nathalie de Vries
Stairs and footbridges create continuity between all common areas - from the main lobby on the first floor to the communal roof garden, which overlooks the city. This spatial arrangement promotes regular use of the garden. The project aims to create a highly biodiverse space that redefines existing norms of urban living and challenges traditional methods of designing residential neighborhoods.
Elaborated: Anastazja Dżupina
Illustrations provided courtesy of MVRDV studio.
