In the exhibition opening March 24 at Galerie d'Architecture in Paris, the architectural practice Gaëtan Le Penhuel & Associés presents a selection of built projects and "Urban Monads" (Les Monades urbaines), a study proposing a utopian vision of the evolution of the contemporary metropolis.
Galerie d'Architecture in Paris hosts an exhibition about the work of architectural practice Gaëtan Le Penhuel & Associés: GRANDS FORMATS. The exhibition includes a selection of projects created by the studio in more than 20 years, some of which are presented in screenings of large format film segments.
The exhibition covers not only built constructions but a theoretical research project entitled "Urban Monads" (Les Monades urbaines) offering a utopian but possible vision of the evolution of the contemporary metropolis.
The title comes from Robert Silverberg’s science fiction novel“The World Inside” (United States, 1971), in which the author describes “the urban monads ”of the 24th century: huge high density residential towers, soulless places inhabited by a terrible version of humanity divided by ruthless social segregation.
Architect Gaëtan Le Penhuel emphasises the relevance of international debate about skyscrapers in view of the fact that about 80% of the world’s population now lives in urban areas and their growth inevitably has immediate repercussions for ecological issues. He therefore raises the problem of how to reconcile height and saving land with the need to provide urban services and ensure the inhabitants’ wellbeing. The type of tower studied and designed by Gaëtan Le Penhuel and his team is a place for sharing life, not a multipurpose object.
A vertical neighbourhood, rather than a horizontal one, with new forms of land and public spaces fitting into the existing city.
(Agnese Bifulco)
Title: Gaëtan Le Penhuel & Associés GRANDS FORMATS
Dates: March 19 – April 16 2016
Opening March 24 2016
Location: La Galerie d'architecture, 11 rue des blancs manteaux – Paris
Images courtesy of La Galerie d'architecture & Gaëtan Le Penhuel & Associés, photo by Hervé Abbadie, Sergio Grazia, Perspectives: Maison Générale
www.galerie-architecture.fr
lepenhuel.net
