NICOLAS LAISNÉ ARCHITECTES + SOU FUJIMOTO + OXO ARCHITECTES + DREAM

Living inside and outside

L’Arbre Blanc (White Tree) is the name of this new multipurpose tower (including housing, a restaurant, an art gallery, offices, a panoramic bar and communal areas) which, in its overall design, pays tribute to the tradition of “outside living” in Montpellier.

The iconic building occupies a strategic position for the regional metropolitan area, halfway between the “old” and “new” sections of the city. Unique in the Languedoc landscape, this seventeen-storey tower affords sweeping views of the sea, the Pic Saint-Loup, the city, and the River Lez below.

L’Arbre Blanc draws from two cultures, one Mediterranean, one Japanese. The building’s walls are thick and porous, making it possible to live both inside and outside. Outside areas are unusually large and designed as fully-fledged living environments. The depth of the hanging gardens and the facilities they provide, make this the only building of its kind in the world..

source: Nicolas Laisné Architectes