Petit-Bain: Green-Roofed Floating Building Sets Sail on the Seine in Paris

France's Guinguette Pirate has been transforming forgotten barges into cultural venues for over 15 years - and they just unveiled a beautiful new <a href="http://inhabitat.com/shipping-container-pool-filters-river-water-as-it-floats-through-france/" target="_blank">barge-turned-floating building</a> that comes complete with a concert venue, a restaurant, a bar and a lush green roof. Designed by <a href="http://encoreheureux.org" target="_blank">Encore Heureux Architectes</a> and set on the Seine in Paris, the Petit-Bain is a mobile party venue that can easily set sail to switch locations.

Petit-Bain’s steel exterior is clad in vertical larch beams, which make the boat look more like a building while adding a beach club atmosphere.

The three-storey Petit-Bain is centered around a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/jean-marie-tjibaou-cultural-center-inspired-by-native-architecture/" target="_blank">theater and nightclub</a>, which spans the two-level height, plus a few extra feet via a floor that is submerged in the hull.

Paying tribute to its former life, Encore Heureux turned a buoy into a disco ball, which is strung from the ceiling of the theater. It throws dazzling lights around the venue while bands and DJs play.

The <a href="http://inhabitat.com/shiny-lapin-kulta-solar-kitchen-restaurant-is-an-experiment-in-green-gastronomy/" target="_blank">restaurant</a> sits at river level, and is arranged to encourage social interaction, rather than quiet, private dinners. The interior is inexpensive pine plywood, which compliment the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/rothschild-foundation-moves-into-beautifully-renovated-windmill-hill-dairy-farm/" target="_blank">larch</a> exterior. The windows overlook the Seine outside, and there is a bar up top that looks down upon upon the concert hall as well as the river.

Ticket offices, dressing rooms, a coat check, offices and bathrooms are tucked within the Petit-Bain’s interior, accessible by three-foot bridges that fold away when the building is “at sea.” From the outside, the structure extends the quay’s public park space, as it is crowned by a green terrace and <a href="http://inhabitat.com/canal-city-an-eye-popping-japanese-mall-filled-with-hanging-gardens-and-cooling-pools/" target="_blank">hanging gardens</a>. The perimeter of the terrace is lined with 33 white <a href="http://inhabitat.com/recycled-tub-chair-is-the-perfect-place-to-relax-without-all-the-water/" target="_blank">bathtubs</a> from a housing project that have been repurposed into planters. Each tub is planted with aquatic plants from the area. The bright yellow details of the Petit-Bain, mixed with the greenery, serve to enliven the dull grey dock area.

Petit-Bain opened on July 5^th, and can be found at dock 9 at Port de la Gare, near the National Library Francois Mitterrand in the 13^th arrondissement.