On April 18, the Louxor Theater reopened its doors after 3 years of renovation. Built during the 20s by the architect Henri Zipcy and the ceramist Amedee Tiberti, the theater quickly became busy. Turned into a nightclub in 1983, it was abandoned in 1987. It is only in 2003 that the city of Paris bought the building that belonged then to the group TATI. After many years of negotiations, the Louxor is finally revived.

1^st building with geothermal energy in Paris
The city of Paris took up the challenge to renovate a building with a front ranked historical monument while installing a system of sustainable energy. As the architect managing the building site, Philippe Pumain, explains: “geothermal energy is a trend today. The City of Paris has shown voluntarism. We did something a bit experimental here. We can’t know the extent of the work before we start drilling. The water table isn’t the same everywhere.”

A technical installation
A thermo-fridge pump was installed deep down 80 meters, on the building’s water table. It will enable heating during winter and cooling during summer. The Louxor’s energy consumption is under 80/kWhep/m2/year. Without its installation, it would have been 6 times bigger.

It is the perfect occasion to mix cultural pleasure with commitment for the environment while going out in Paris!

Louxor – Palais du Cinema
170, boulevard de Magenta
75010 Paris
France
Subway: Barbes-Rochechouart (L.2 & 4)

Each year, the Jardin des Tuileries welcomes the event “Garden, Gardens”, where landscape gardeners make wonders. Thus, about twenty gardens, terraces and balconies are laid out with fantasy, with present materials such as glass or steel. These modern-days gardens are part of a sustainable approach. The visitor can thus freely cross in these fairy green spaces and glean ideas for displays, layouts and respect of the environment for their home. For this 10^th edition, you will be encouraged to play explorers, sometimes suspended over water on wooden pontoons, or lost in vegetable mazes. A universe your kids will be thrilled to discover!

H2O invert – Design/Execution: N2B Arrosage
Bernard Bois S.A – Geo-Concept

Gardens, Garden, at the Tuileries, from May 31 to June 2, 2013.
Open on Friday and Sunday from 10am to 7pm, and on Sunday from 10am to 9pm.
Full rate: 12€. Reduced rate (for groups of 12+ persons): 9€.
Special Rate (for 18-25 years old, must show an id card): 7€.
Free for people less than 18 years old.
Entrance: Concorde (L. 1,8,12), Tuileries (L.1), Musée d’Orsay (RER C).

In order to follow the example of the New Yorkers, Paris gives itself a biodiversity plan which consist in creating seven hectares of vegetated roofs by 2020. It is one of the first European cities to take the experience. Discovery.

Making tomatoes grow under the Parisian sky, it is possible!
You are aware that more than half of the population in the world is concentrated in the cities, and this tendency will obviously be led to amplify in the years to come. A question is then to be asked, how to feed the urban population with fresh products? This solution to install green ways over our heads is an alternative to our usual consummation modes, while creating sustainable and ecological vegetable patches right in the heart of the cities. The association Vegetable gardens on the roofs began to block off the rooftop of the engeneer’s school AgroParisTech in the 5^th arrondissement, and the results are quite encouraging! You have the possibility to take a look.

Photo credit: Jardinons-ensemble.org

AgroParisTech
16, rue Claude Bernard
75005 Paris
France
T.:+ 33 (0)1 44 08 16 61
Subway station: Censier Daubenton (L.7).

The eco-roofs, yards with several virtues
The capital counts some high yards. Among them, there is the one that is over the Vignoles gym, in the area of Charonne. This 600m2 space is like an UFO figure among the other green ways in Paris. Just as the eco-roof that serve as a vegetated hat to Paris’s Farm in the Bois de Vincennes, this wild plant carpet that participate to the reduction of CO2 emissions, favor the production of oxygen and increase the humidity rate during summer seasons.

Photo credit: François Cano / L’Express

Photo credit: François Cano / L’Express

Vignoles Gym
83-91, rue des Haies
75020 Paris
France
T.: +33 (0)1 55 25 28 20
Subway station: Maraîchers or Buzenval (Ligne 9).
Open on Tuesday and Thursday from 9.30am to 12am, and on Wednesday and Friday from 2pm to 5.30pm.

Paris Farm
Route du Pesage – Bois de Vincennes
75012 Paris
France
T.: +33 (0)1 71 28 50 56
Open to public on Saturday and Sunday from 1.30pm to 5pm.
Free entry.

The constructions on the left side of the Seine will end during Spring 2013 to finally reveal the floating garden on the banks.

Photo credit: Mairie de Paris

A garden on the water, unbelievable!
Large of 1800m2, it embraces no less than 5 little islands linked with each other by footbridges, which are all accessible to everyone from the bank. Each one of them will rest upon a floating structure and will be belted for your safety by a 1 meter balustrade. This green way will be planted with 55 water trees, 220 bushes, and 1920 grasses. Enough to make a beautiful range of the Seine specific plants. And that’s in addition to the semi-aquatic plants between the floating garden and the bank.

Les berges : construction du jardin flottant par mairiedeparis

A 5 island archipelago to discover!
The different islands of the archipelago will dispose of a vegetation and furnitures that are proper to them. Mostly mineral, the central island is no other than the main access point to the islands from the bank. On the left, you just have to take the footbridge to reach the meadow island, which you will distinguish by its high grass in which you will enjoy laying down during the sunny afternoons that we are impatiently waiting for. Then, you will get to the bird island, the wildest of them. On the latter, there will be a huge greenhouse, and a great aviary. On the other side of the platform stands the orchard island, where the space will be used for the plantation of apple trees. And finally, on the extreme right, you will discover the haze island, whose name comes from the automatic watering system pumped from the Seine, specially installed for its vegetation.

We don’t know about you, but as for us, we can’t wait for spring to show up!

The Floating Garden will be situated next to the Alma bridge, on the Left Bank of the Seine, in the 7^th arrondissement of Paris.
Subway station: Alma Marceau (L.9)

Find out more about the constructions on the Seine banks.

Open since 1957, this big garden of 8,7 hectares of the 15^th district is a nice tribute to the famous French singer Georges Brassens (1921 – 1981) who lived nearby, at 42 rue Santos-Dumont. This uneven landscape was built in place of a former slaughterhouse.

A garden hiding numerous secrets…
You can walk on the bridge over the small river and enjoy the view from its gazebo after going through the garden of scents where lots of specimens are growing, like honeysuckle or jasmine. You will also find a garden with aromatic and medicinal plants where partially sighted people can be initiated to botany thanks to Braille labeling. Several meters away, ducks paddle in their pool next to the Pinot Noir vines, to the small forest and to the apiary where multiple activities are offered to kids and adults (discovery of a bee’s role, swarming or pollination). Your kids will be delighted to enjoy the swings, the roundabouts or the pony rides, without forgetting the puppet theater where Polichinelle and his friends are performing since 1987!

An arty garden
In the midst of the flora, there are stony and bronze hosts, like this bust of doctor Emile Decroix, or the one of George Brassens, sculpted by Andre Greck. Previously located in the Trocadero gardens, two sculptures of bulls by Auguste Cain now decorate the park’s entrance. Having a walk, you will discover that several alleys are named after some of the artist’s songs. Finally, each Saturday and Sunday, an old book fair takes place under the former horses halls. Perfect to associate bucolic pleasures and literature!

 The Gavarni Hotel likes: the honey sake taking place every first Saturday of October. Make enquiries about the next edition by calling +33 (0)1 45 29 08, from 2p.m to 6p.m.

Open from 8a.m to 5:45p.m on weekdays in January and to 6p.m on February. Open from 9a.m during the weekend.
Free entry.

The Georges Brassens Park
2, Place Jacques Marette
75011 Paris
France
T.: +33 (0)1 40 71 74 00
Subway: Convention (L.12)

Calm and away from the city’s noises, you might enjoy this little garden inspired of the middle age situated in the Marais. Still kept secret from the public, the Park of the Clos des Blancs-Manteaux, on top of being a place dedicated to Lady Diana’s memory is a yard where it is possible to participate to playful activities turning around biodiversity. You will find more than 250 species of plants (herbs, condiments and medicinal plants). Walking around this very charming park with its wonderful stone bowl in the center, is a good way to escape the capital. Breathe some fresh air!

Photo credit: Guillaume Maroussie – Mairie de Paris

Open to public on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 12.30am, and from 1.30pm to 5.30pm.

Park of the Clos des Blancs-Manteaux
21, rue des Blancs-Manteaux
75004 Paris
France
T.: +33 (0)1 43 28 47 63
Subway Station: Hôtel de Ville (L.1 or L.11).

In the heart of Paris’s Flower Park in the famous Vincennes Wood, is a resource center about species and natural environments diversity. The goal of the House Paris-Nature is to make people more sensitive to the wealth of life in the city, and this way to implicate the visitors into fauna and flora maintaining. In order to make that happen, the place offers discovering activities in its butterfly garden as well as in its nature library. You will be able to learn everything about insects and day butterflies that live in the capital, but also to consult more than 6 500 books! Kids and grown-ups will be delighted.

Free access, open from 10am to 12.30am, and from 1.30pm to 5pm on Wednesdays.
Guided visits for groups on demand.

La Maison Paris-Nature
Pavillons 1 to 6
Parc Floral de Paris – Bois de Vincennes
75012 Paris
France
Subway station: Château de Vincennes (L.1).

Morgane Fleury, former comedian became cellarwoman, invites you to her little cellar of the Saint Denis area to taste her great quality champagnes and wines. But there is more! You have to know that at Ma Cave Fleury, the products are born of biodynamic, a farming method respectful of the soil natural cycles? It includes no chemical or synthesis elements. It is possible to buy a bottle to take away or to drink on the spot, accompanied by cheese and foie gras in a very warm atmosphere. It is good and it is organic, what could you ask more? You will tell us about it!

Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 2pm to 8pm.

Ma Cave Fleury
177, rue Saint-Denis
75002 Paris
France
T.: +33 (0)1 40 28 03 39

Right in the heart of Montmartre, come and discover the Jardin Sauvage Saint Vincent, a 1480 m2 green way, that covers all kinds of wild plants, trees and bushes, or even a pond and a fauna of diverse species. Having been abandoned for more than 20 years, this park saw the daylight again when in 1985, the Direction of the parks, yards and green ways of Paris had the brilliant idea to make it a wild place by keeping the new flora that had grown, and adding other animal and vegetal species. Since this adjustment, the yard, neighbor of the Montmartre’s grapevines, develops itself in a natural way. It contributes to maintain the biodiversity inside the city.

Photo credit: www.hunza.pro

In order to respect its balance, the park is only accessible to the public during the visits guided by the eco-educators of the site.
Free Entry.

Jardin Sauvage Saint Vincent
Rue Saint-Vincent
75018 Paris
France
Train Station: Lamarck-Caulaincourt (L.12).
Information: +33 (0)1 71 28 50 56

Created in 1804 by the architect Alexandre Theodore Brongniart right in the middle of a gigantic cemetery (the most famous for sure because of the emblematic people that are resting there), the Park of the Père Lachaise counts no less than 5300 trees, planted on a 44 hectares surface, in the heart of the 20^th arrondissement! You got it, it is obviously one of the largest green way in the capital, where you will be able to enjoy a both relaxing and discovery stroll.

Photo credit: Paris lifestyle

Open in winter from Monday to Friday from 8am to 5.30pm, on Saturdays from 8.30am to 5.30pm, on Sundays and public holidays from 9am to 5.30pm.
Open in summer from Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm, on Saturdays from 8.30 am to 6pm, on Sundays and public holidays from 9am to 6pm.

Natural yard of Le Père Lachaise
16, rue du Repos
75020 Paris
France