(photo: J. Attiogbe)
Along the pedestrian-only promenade on the left bank of the Seine between Pont de l’Alma and the Musee d’Orsay, five floating gardens were realized. The gardens raise the awareness of the biodiversity of Paris. Although the city has a surprisingly great biodiversity, the Parisians and the city’s visitors are hardly aware of it. They can now find information about the more than 2000 species of wild plants, 175 different species of birds and approximately 300 fish species living in the 1800 m2 large archipelago. A special selection of vegetation was planted on five themed islands. From the central island (L’île centrale), visitors can access an island with an apple orchard (L’île verger), a bird island (L’île aux oiseaux), a meadow-island (L’île aux burmes) and a grassland island (L’île prairie). A few small gardens covered with water plants (petits îlots végétalisés) float among these islands. The project is part of a 2.4-kilometre long transformation of the Berges de Seine. Urban designer Jean-Christophe Choblet is the driving force behind this project.
-Paris (FR) 2013
-Jean-Christophe Choblet
more info: publication: Floating Gardens, Tanja Lina, 2015, BNA