Postmodern and Contemporary Paris

The Parisian built environment is just like the built environment of any other thousand-year old city – it has an old section (or multiple old sections), and newer sections. I tend to prefer the old sections of cities and towns, both when I’m traveling and at home in the US, but I’ve discovered a love of Parisian postmodern and contemporary architecture. On my walks around the 14th and 13th arrondissements, near where we’re staying at Cité U, I noticed that most of the high-rise apartment buildings were built in the modern, postmodern, or more contemporary styles. I also noticed that I really like them! This never happens at home, so it surprised me. 

These pictures show the same building, but the second is specifically of the road median COVERED in lavender plants.

One of the main characteristics of these postmodern (and often brutalist) buildings in southern Paris is that they have lots of greenery. Some have rooftop gardens, but honestly I think this is mostly due to the residents themselves owning and taking care of so many plants. I can appreciate brutalism in a general sense, but I don’t really identify as someone who loves brutalism (the exception here is the DC Metro, which I adore). I’ve discovered that greenery on brutalist buildings has changed my mind about this, and I love the combination of the two. On the train (RER C) back from Versailles yesterday, I also noticed more postmodern and contemporary buildings that I liked. Unfortunately I wasn’t quick enough to take photos of these buildings but maybe Gabe, Ellie, and Jenna remember the ones I pointed to and said “Oh these buildings are cool!” Anyways, some of them were more curvilinear in their shape, while others were more straight and boxy. Most were built of either concrete or glass/steel combinations. All of the residential-appearing ones had very neat balconies with many plants, of course. The Bibliothèque Nationale and the Musée De Cluny also fall into this category of postmodern buildings I like here, but I think I prefer the modern/postmodern residential buildings in Paris over any office or public buildings built in this style. This makes me think it’s the balconies I enjoy, since most public buildings lack balconies. Or plants. 

Part two of this (not really a blog, just because I want to) will just be more photos of buildings in the 14th because I realized I haven’t taken enough!

The Bibliothèque Nationale and the Musée De Cluny (which I’m also realizing now both have greenery – the library has the living forest and Cluny has the landscaping in front).