Kaleidoscopic Rooftop Offers A Head-Turning View Of The Streets Of Paris

Situated at the top two floors of the Préfecture de Paris on Boulevard Morland is a special, artistic installation that’s sure to upend your world view—literally. 

As part of the Morland Mixité Capitale Project, the permanent artwork—aptly dubbed The Seeing City—starts off with a mirrored ceiling on the 15th story of the building before turning into a kaleidoscope that appears to fade into the sky on its rooftop. 

Created by Studio Other Spaces, the “immersive optical apparatus” offers visitors a different view of the City of Love, quite literally turning spaces and passersby down below on their heads. 

In the first part of the exhibit, the reflective ceiling extends from the building’s exterior into its interior, blurring the lines between what’s indoors or outdoors, seemingly dematerializing the surroundings. 

With the Seine and the streets of Paris floating above your head as an “inverted city in motion,” the view is a dynamic one, constantly changing with the outdoor light and weather conditions overhead. 

Upon moving up to the 16th story, visitors will be greeted by rows of kaleidoscope boxes lining the glass façade, each of which comprises four glass mirror panels. 

These panels are reflective at the top while transparent at the bottom, embedded with a custom pattern that transitions between the two surfaces. 

This gives an overall effect of blending the panoramic view of the city with the kaleidoscopic sky, extended by the mirrors present. 

You’ll see both fragments of the building’s interiors and exteriors, which are then reconfigured into a seemingly infinite number of patterns, and continues out to the surrounding streets. 

“Viewed from the city below, the work disappears into the sky when the weather is calm, and stands out in stark contrast when the reflection differs from the surrounding sky, as at sunrise and sunset,” the creative firm explains. The resulting aesthetic “subtly [amplifies] the atmosphere and its surroundings,” it continues.

The company says the purpose of the immersive work is to interpret the existing building in a whole new way, rather than replace the original structure altogether. 

“The intention is to connect people to the everyday context that they inhabit in a way that is surprising and dynamic, whether they are floating above or looking up from the boulevard.” 

[via New Atlas and Studio Other Spaces, images via Jérémie Léon / Studio Other Spaces]