Name
The Canopy – Les Halles de Paris
City
Paris
Year
2016
Architect
Patrick Berger and Jacques Anziutti
Country
France

The City of Paris unveiled the new district of Les Halles and its glass roof in April 2016. This building is inspired by the protective and bright natural shelters created by treetops in forests.

Forming a huge translucent sheet, the Canopy spans two public buildings, shops and a train station. Each of the Canopy's "tiles" is composed of a mix of two different glasses: the yellow translucent enamelled Stratobel Imagin Gothic and the enamelled Planibel Clearvision (partially to give it a matt appearance).

The panel of the upper section was screen-printed to create a colour similar to that of sand and offer a degree of translucency providing gentle diffusion of light, protection against UV rays and climate comfort as intended by the architects Patrick Berger and Jacques Anziutti.

AGC Vertal Sud-Est supplied the 18,000 glass panels. These laminated glass modules, ranging in size from 1.10 to 1.60 metres, underwent a series of tests to achieve the desired technical characteristics, physical properties and aesthetic. This immense canopy is the most spectacular element of the project and makes it unique!