Travelers to Paris can soon immerse themselves in a paradise of greenery at the Kengo Kuma-designed Eco-Luxury Hotel. Located on the banks of the River Seine in the Rive Gauche neighborhood, the plant-covered building will deliver a breath of fresh air to Paris’ dense urban fabric. The building will be built of timber—a favorite material of Kuma—and punctuated with greenery that grows along the balconies, rooftops, interior, and ground level.
Set along the Avenue de France, the Eco-Luxury Hotel was conceived as a green reprieve from the bustling city streets. An intimate public garden is placed at the heart of the project between the main U-shaped 1Hotel and Slo Living youth hostel. Long and folded timber fins clad the building facades, creating space for planters and balconies. The overlapping fins’ long and narrow profiles and abundant greenery give the hotel the illusion of a dense forest.
As particles, dispersed facade panels together with the volumetric decomposition come to blur the shape of the building, said Kengo Kuma & Associates to Dezeen. The warm materiality of the wood is combined with the soften reflection and aerial touch of the metal panels. The building will come alive with the light. The lower floors of the building surrounding the central garden feature full-height glazing and a series of public spaces including sport facilities, business incubators, restaurant, co-working space, and roof terrace. The hotel interior will be filled with natural light and also feature a predominately timber materials palette.
Source: inhabitat