There Goes the Neighborhood
 

@ http://www.france24.com/en/20150630-...gle-skyscraper

"Shaped like a squashed pyramid, the 42-story building will be 180 metres tall – the same height as the “Gherkin” in central London, but still less than half the height of New York’s Empire State Building.

It will contain a 120-room four-star hotel, 2,200m² of “co-working” office space and a cultural centre".

((I))

It will be an excellent building and is located in a place that can bother absolutely nobody since it is in the middle of the Parc des Expositions. And of course it is on the very edge of the city limits, since it is out of the question to build high rise buildings in the center.

Another tall building is already going up at the northern edge of Paris in the 17th arrondissement, the new Palais de Justice (the current one surrounding the Sainte Chapelle might become a Starbucks).

http://www.leparisien.fr/paris-75/pa...15-4750989.php

It is pretty far out on the south side of the 15th on the Périphérique - I see no problem w/ that.

>>the new Palais de Justice (the current one surrounding the Sainte Chapelle might become a Starbucks).<<

I shall never see Engrenages in the same light again..

Or maybe it should become an upmarket hotel. They could call it the Conciergerie.

Interesting design for sure.....but I don't know how I feel about it in relation to Paris.....I guess I am too old fashioned. I hope it brings lots of jobs.

Speaking of places that might <b>really</b> become a Starbucks, the huge central post office on rue du Louvre is now closed for transformation. Huge central post offices are now completely obsolete. Who knows what it is going to become?

(My thoughts suddenly turn to that huge GPO in NYC which has seemed so totally useless for at least the past 20 years.)

Another tall building is already going up at the northern edge of Paris in the 17th arrondissement, the new Palais de Justice (the current one surrounding the Sainte Chapelle might become a Starbucks).>>

glad to read that's not a serious suggestion, kerouac. I have fond memories of going to watch a case there when DH was working in Paris many years ago; it was different to the english procedure which I was used to, but the clients [criminal in that case] were just the same.

Well, the old <I>Palais de Justice</I> will probably become something else at some time in the future -- maybe a museum or who knows what? The <I>Préfecture de Police</I> will also be moving sooner or later. After all, these old buildings are not really adapted to current needs. But the real estate is so incredibly exceptional that I cannot imagine to government ever selling such buildings for private use. I'm sure they will think of something.

to = the

kerouac - some of my old court stamping grounds in London have become 'boutique" hotels with fancy prices. Who could have guessed, when I was holding my nose in the cells below the famous old Bow Street Magistrate's Court that one day they'd be charging people to stay there?

http://www.montagu-evans.co.uk/news?story=709

Paris moves forward - bravo - not a museum town - the Mitterand Grandes Projects started the invasion of modernity in Paris itself after the pause caused by the Montparnasse Tower (old joke - the best view of Paris is from the top of it because you can't see it!) - the Eiffel Tower set off a storm and was to be pulled down but now an icon.

Like London's gherkin will go over well in the long run and prove that Paris is with it and not stuck in some time warp.

Ann, in Boston they changed the old Charles Street Jail into a fancy hotel. I did time there before the transformation and haven't been inside since, but I hear it is much improved.

When I went to a concert in Sainte Chapelle some years ago, the entrance was through the court complex. I was struck by the familiarity of the atmosphere. I felt right at home, although the building in Paris was considerably more historic than the ones I spent time in closer to home.

And I heard a guide at Sainte Chapelle comment about damage that was done to the stained glass windows by stacking excess files from the courthouse against the windows when the court ran out of storage space at some point in the past. I can so see that happening.

According to my upstairs neighbor who is an attorney, the Ile de la Cité courthouse will still be used as a courthouse but for a certain type of court only, I forget which one. But she wasn't 100% sure. We will see...
Véronique

Ann, in Boston they changed the old Charles Street Jail into a fancy hotel. I did time there before the transformation and haven't been inside since, but I hear it is much improved. >>

Nikki - in what sense "did time" I wonder???

I'm not sure that they could improve Bow street Mags - ok, the cells stank of what cells usually stink of, it was a bit grubby and scruffy, but the history of all of those crooks and others passing below its portals was infinitely fascinating. And the fun that was to be had sitting in court waiting for your case to be called - all human life was truly there, from the toms who had been arrested overnight, through petty criminals of every hue and scale [my bread and butter] to murderers being committed for trial.

Happy days!

>Like London's gherkin will go over well in the long run and prove that Paris is with it and not stuck in some time warp.

See title.

((I))

<Or maybe it should become an upmarket hotel. They could call it the Conciergerie.>

lol!