serge365

http://www.thelocal.fr/1902/20111130/

StCirq

Mon Dieu! That's hard to imagine.

PalenQ

Great idea hope it comes to fruition. Seems no public funds are being used?

merci pour le posting!

Michael

It does not sound very cost effective if it is to be taken down in 2016.

cigalechanta

Reminds me of the enormous pup covered in flowers, a work of Jeff Koons.It towered in front of the entrance of the Bilbao entrance

Michael

More like the plant wall of the MQB.

YankyGal

Interesting. Thanks for posting.

Does anyone know where in the suburbs the "scaled-down prototype" is that's mentioned in the article? Sounds like a project for kerouac or FMT to me.

Pvoyageuse

"Does anyone know where in the suburbs the "scaled-down prototype" is that's mentioned in the article?"

Supposedly at Elancourt.

gomiki

Count me as one who doesn't like the idea. Wouldn't it contribute to rust on the metal? What about the lights on the tower now?

serge365

good point..gomiki..

gomiki

And 378 tons is a LOT of extra weight. The air flows through the structure now. Those plants will catch and block a lot of air flow. What kind of plants? Evergreen? What happens in winter when they turn brown?

Margaretlb

Very strange. I seem to recall that when Le Jules Verne was under renovation, everything removed had to be weighed and anything added, also weighed. To add that amount of tonage and wind resistance - well, I guess the engineers know what they're doing. Wonder how the heat from the lights will effect the plants. And, I also wonder if the plants will turn brown in the winter.

Michael

Turning the Eiffel Tower into a giant topiary is about as appropriate as turning the façade of Versailles into a living wall, and I like living walls.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57623429262296

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57624394481445

daveesl

I do not think this is a very well thought out idea. Eiffel designed the tower specifically to be extremely light, but strong due to the lattice design. Reducing airflow and increasing weight can have an affect. I also agree that this would seem to be counter-productive on a cost basis, as the plants can cause a problem in the rust department and will also be a nightmare when trying to remove them.

dave

gomiki

Honestly, I think this is one of the most harebrained schemes I have ever heard of!

cigalechanta

and will spoil the view when we ice skate up there in the winter.

kerouac

The proposal was laughed down by the municipal authorities of the city of Paris before it was even presented. Just a lot of free publicity for a clever agency who wanted to impress naive people around the world.

kerouac

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/ar...=feeds-newsxml

gomiki

Phew! kerouac, thank you for the link. I really didn't believe it would happen.

And, I have a question for you. Will you be taking photos of the Christmas windows at the grands magasins and Christmas around Paris? I am really missing seeing it this year. Through your eyes would be a close second.

cigalechanta

pwew! is right. thanks again kerouac
and I too will look forward to the Christmas windows
for us who can't afford Paris.