Tower in the Park: PARIS
The title of the proposed intervention in Paris is “selective destruction” In contrast to the previous two applications of additional density, this proposal provides a framework for the de-densification of a modernist-era housing block currently under demolition. The current site consists of a series of long bar buildings, the longest measuring over 200 meters, constructed in a rigid orthogonal manner; however, most of the site is already under demolition. The site was planned as a contrast to the existing urban forms in the areas surrounding La Courneuve; this photo highlights the prefabricated construction sequence that enabled an assembly line production of these buildings. The modular system is the driving force behind the existing building, which is surrounded mostly by parking lots and small grassy lots in the residual areas. My proposal seeks to break down this bar, reconstitute or rebuild portions at the base, and divide the blocks to link the site with its surroundings
The proposed intervention slices the building into a series of towers according to the logic of the original cores and modules; removed modules are then reconstituted or rebuilt at the base of the tower to accommodate commercial and retail spaces where the building fronts the street, and townhouses where the building fronts the park. A similar process repeats for the smaller bars on the site. As a site strategy, the de-densification accompanies the removal of a series of low-lying buildings and the slicing of blocks to connect the transportation nodes in the neighborhood. The inserted volumes follow the new block structure, enabling large-scale open spaces and multifunctional urban spaces integrated with the surrounding blocks. The reconstituted modules break down the scale of the buildings and provide a material contrast, and the deconstruction of the building allows for pass-throughs mid-block, and the broken up blocks integrate the site into the city
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