Postmodern Utopian Dream City (Paris/ France)

A Paris unknown to many unfolds itself in a part of the eastern suburb of Noisy-le-Grand.
The otherworldly housing estate was originally built to house a migrant population of rural and foreign refugees post WW2.

Constructed between 1978 and 1983 the complexes were designed to represent an alternative architectural approach. A number of Hollywood films used the place as a backdrop, including Brazil (1984) and, more recently, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (2014).
But inside this postmodern utopian dream city, all is quiet: time stops and people are scarce.
Parisian photographer Laurent Kronental's photo series, Souvenir d'un Futur (Memory of a Future), is a homage to what he describes as the "stranded senior citizens" of the French capital's Grand Ensemble region. He photographed it over the course of 4 years.
In 2006 there were plans to demolish parts of the development but after widespread resentment from its inhabitants it was decided to keep it standing for now.

"These 'monuments', living memories of their time, personify the fragile strength of a youth having blindly aged." —Laurent Kronental

Les Ecotagnes Treehouse (Haute-Savoie/ France)

Additional to its chalet, Les Ecotagnes also has 2 separate tree houses perched 9 metres off the floor and secured to the surrounding pine trees.
Both cabins are acessable via a walkway, have double beds and their own wood stove to keep you warm through the winter nights. There is a decked area in front of each of the cabins where tables and chairs are provided allowing you to have breakfast, dinner or just chill.

La Maison Cassee Vaisselle (Louviers/ France)

Robert Vasseur's La Maison Cassee Vaisselle or "House of broken Crockery" is a very interesting tourist attraction in the town of Louviers, France. Robert's passion for Mosaic ornaments began in 1952, when he first got the idea of making repairs in his kitchen. Then he decorated the old kitchen sink with mosaics from broken pieces of old crockery, gluing it with cement.
From then on he and his wife painstakingly decorated the entire house with mosaics of broken crockery, shells, iridescent glass and porcelain.

Patrick Blanc's Home (Paris/ France)

Patrick Blanc, a French botanist who made his name with vertical gardens and plant walls, is an unusual mix of scientist and artist. A few examples of his work are the green walls of the Quai Branly Museum in Paris or the Athenaeum Hotel in London.
Not surprising that his home is just as much of a beautiful jungle as his other creations.

51 Rue Jean Bellegambe (Douai/ France)

Architect Albert Pèpe created the exuberant and asymmetric Art Nouveau shop front of this house at 51 Rue Jean Bellegambe in 1904, though the building itself dates back to the 19th century.
In 1972 it was put under historical monument protection and is privately owned today.

Manish Arora's apartment (Paris/ France)

Fashion designer Manish Arora's apartment lies in the hip 10th Arrondissement of Paris. He combined traditional Parisian style with an exotic colour palette that, like the designer’s clothes, reflects his playful sense, rich imagination & use of crafts from India.
The kitchen and bathroom are separated by a wall of stained glass, letting the natural light flood through.

“In India, colors are very natural,” he said. “It is as natural as black for French people.”

“My design aesthetic is all about happiness. You can feel happiness when you enter. People smile when they enter my place and smile again when they leave.”

You'll also find 1960s-style furniture, graffiti by street artist Rude 3HC and various keepsakes collected on his travels, such as Russian dolls & Japanese Manga toys. He is fascinated by the order & predictability in Japan while India is the complete opposite.

Flower restaurant Mas Provençal (Èze/ France)

The restaurant Mas Provençal in Èze Village makes for a unique & magical dining experience. Surrounded by hundreds of fresh flowers, exotic trees, carnivorous plants, the guests find themselves at the gateway to paradise.

Gardens of Marqueyssac (Vézac/ France)

The stunningly sculptured landscapes of the Gardens of Marqueyssac wrap around a 17th century chateau that sits perched above the picturesque Dordogne valley. The bubbly, rounded forms of the garden are carefully manicured by active attendants, maintaining a design that was first developed over 300 years ago.

The Gardens of Marqueyssac are now available for public strolls, having been restored to their original glory for a public opening in 1996.

Bubble Tent Hotel (near Marseille/ France)

At Hotel Attrap’Rêves you can find a collection of bubble tents scattered in the forests of Bouches-du-Rhone. The bubbles are small and cozy - some are fully transparent, while others allow a little more privacy and are half opaque.

These eco-friendly space bubble tents also offer a very unique way to travel (at only about 13 feet in diameter they're relatively easy to pack up) & provide a vision of the night sky as you lounge in your shelter. The concept came from french designer Pierre Stéphane.

Jardins Secrets (Haute-Savoie/ France)

"The Secret Gardens" is amust visit for all garden lovers. Escape into the heart of a unique mosaic of gardens combining natural materials, flowers and water.

Le jardin de nous deux (Civrieux d'Azergues/ France)

Charles Billy and his wife liked to travel around and visit famous buildings all over Europe. In 1975 Mr Billy retired from his job to decorate the garden around his house.
Over time he constructed replica's of the great buildings he and his wife had seen like the Tower of Pisa, the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, Venetian Palaces and more, using stones from demolished buildings in the area. The constructs are around 3m high. Thus "Le jardin de nous deux/ The garden of the two of us" was created.
Nowadays the site is private and closed for the public.

La maison de Celle-Qui-Peint (Pont-de-l'Etoile/ France)

La maison de Celle-Qui-Peint (The house of The-One-Who-Paints) is home to artist Danielle Jacqui. Exterior and interior of the house have been completely decorated in bright colours, the facade now being in its fourth edition.

Musée Robert Tatin (Cossé-le-Vivien/ France)

Robert Tatin was a french artist and outsider-architect. In 1962, at the age of 60, he bought an old house near Cossé-le-Vivien where, for the next 21 years, together with his wife Lise, he would create a visionary environment.

Cunégonde et Malabar (Nice/ France)

In 1976 Benjamin Vautier opened the gallery “Cunégonde et Malabar” which is named after his children.
Over the year it became a chaotic set of found objects. The walls are covered with many objects, and Ben’s works. There's a giant gnome standing in the garden, old toilets and bidets are used as plant containers. Over the door we can see the words “It’s Bad” with a Rhinoceros-head watching the garden. There’s a bathtub which says “Since 1917, all the avant-garde is bathing in the dirty bath water of Duchamp.”

Gainza Treehouse (Biarritz/ France)

The Gainza Treehouse in Biarritz was built by a carpenter well versed in ship design.

Le Cyclop (Milly-la-Forêt/ France)

Le Cyclop is a monument in Milly-la-Forêt, France. It took Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle 30 years to complete it with the help of Arman, César, Marcel Duchamp, and JR Soto.

Palais Bulles (Cannes/ France)

Palais Bulles or “Palace of Bubbles” was built in 1989 in the town of Théoule-sur-Mer outside Cannes. It's the party playground of famous avant-garde designer Pierre Cardin and the European social scene. It's unique visual look has made it a popular backdrop of many editorial fashion shoots, film festival parties and other grand events.
It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and the red cliffs of the Esterel, with a panorama stretching to the bay of Cannes.

For Hungarian born architect Antti Lovag the bubble shape designs are about going back to the roots of our ancestral habitat being cave dwellings.

29 Avenue Rapp (Paris/ France)

The building at 29 avenue Rapp was designed by French architect Jules Aimé Lavirotte around 1900.
His flamboyant work won him the "Concours de Façades de la Ville de Paris" at least twice, one being for this building with the highly exotic door frame designed by the sculptor Jean-Baptiste Larrive.

Maison Coilliot (Lille/ France)

Maison Coilliot in Lille, northern France, was designed in 1900 by Hector Guimard.

Central Nice Library (Nice/ France)