For the last few years, there have been calls for Paris’ iconic zinc rooftops to be given UNESCO heritage status, protecting their long-term future. Although several important political figures wholeheartedly back the proposal, the mayor is not one of them.  Some 500 roofers work in the capital, maintaining and replacing the zinc slates that cover […]

Ever wondered where the Haussmannian legacy is strongest, or where Paris’ oldest buildings are to be found? A new map from the city hall’s official urban planning think-tank illustrates the capital’s age using the most comprehensive database of building records to date.

France’s highest administrative court reverses earlier rulings, finds that the proposed glass facade is sufficiently in harmony with Paris existing architecture.

The way Paris looks today owes much to Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, Prefect of the Seine in the mid-19th century. The long, straight boulevards, magnificent open spaces and elegant façades that are everyone’s image of modern Paris arose from the ashes of tortuous medieval alleyways and overcrowded slums. Few houses had running water and disease was […]