The "île Seguin" belongs to the chain of remarkable islands on the river Seine. History teaches us that islands are magical places, full of meaning, the foundations of human settlements. The "île de la Cité", the "île Saint-Louis".…
An island, a sign
The statue of liberty on the "allée des cygnes", and
Dubuffet's sculpture
on the "île
Saint-Germain"
After the broad topics which have forged the city,
Spirituality in
the Middle Ages with "Notre-Dame",
the absolute monarchy with Versailles,
industrial society with the Eiffel Tower,
cultural modernity with the Pompidou Centre,
Today "La Defense", the expression of economic power, will play in duet with the "île Seguin", the manifestation of a self-evident topic :
Mankind and ecology.
And, then... Earth
island will carry the watchtower, the Earth's lighthouse:
The Tree is this symbol,
this identity place which we need,
a place of gathering,
an image used as rallying sign, a meeting place for all populations..
This place will
announce to the world its immense desire for peace, will devote this
new thought "we are the protectors of the Earth" this revolutionary
attitude shared by the small, the powerful, the poets and others.
This place is of universal ambition.
The Tree is a sign at a territorial level
Cultural stakes
The "île Seguin" places Boulogne at the level of other
cities passioned by architecture, art or environment (Pisa, Sydney, Venice...)
The Earth island
creates a greater cultural panorama, regionally and nationally.
The project deals with the environment in a unique and evident way. The
Earth Tree can also be visited as a monument.
Tourist stakes
The "île Seguin" broadens Paris's tourist offer and it's
sphere of influence extends beyond central Paris. The visitor is overcome
with amazement by the panoramic view from the Tree's "habitacle"
at 100 metres above ground (views over the meanders of the Seine, the
"coteaux de Meudon", the "Hauts de Seine", the "plaine
de Versailles", "La Defense", the "Bois de Boulogne",
and Paris...)
Boulogne-Billancourt becomes a tourist destination
Urban stakes
Firstly, to create a public park in Boulogne-Billancourt.
The project:
- amplifies the potential and the beauty of the site, by the creation
of a 3 ha park in the middle of the river,
- improves the image of the "Hauts de Seine" area: after the
tertiary pole of "La Defense", the Earth Island gives the department
another identity.
- reveals, thanks to the Earth Tree , the richness of the site,
- symbolises a softer approach to planning: a new opportunity, the organization
of the "île Seguin" around an important project, the Earth
Tree gives the planning of neighbouring municipalities a different meaning,
nearer to everyones aspirations..
Environmental
stakes
The Tree, built from wood, the only renewable raw material and a carbon
stock, is a marvellous expression of sustainable development.
Territorial stakes
The Tree, by its message and its slenderness, qualifies and develops the
territory of the island, of the trapeze, Boulogne and of the Seine Valley.
Commemorative
stakes
A site with a long history of social struggles, the island becomes a symbol
for the world wide struggle for the environment.
Technological
stakes
The Tree fosters the growth of mankind's communications;
As an antenna base, it reinforces the Parisien communication network.
Economical stakes
The realisation of the Earth Tree would induce:
- 3 million hours of specialised technical work
- direct and indirect employment
- repercussions in the timber industry.
