BIG Unveils Winning Plans for Massive Green-Roofed Europa City Outside of Paris

Danish firm <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/BIG">BIG</a> has won an international design competition for a new green-roofed city, currently in the works for the suburbs of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/paris">Paris</a>. <a href="http://www.europacity.com/AmbitionArchitectural/Projet/Item/equipe_bjarke_ingels_group-1.sls" target="_blank">Europa City</a> is a massive sustainable project topped off with a huge park that will combine the urban density of Paris with the bucolic setting of the suburbs. Intimate streets, connections to the metro, trains and adjacent highways as well as a connection to farmland will differentiate this master-planned city. It will combine all the convenient amenities of living in a city (like shops, offices, culture and activities) with the healthy qualities of living in the country.

<a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/bjarke-ingels-group" target="_blank">Bjarke Ingels Group</a> competed in an international design competition against the likes of Valode &amp; Pistre, <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/Snøhetta" target="_blank">Snøhetta</a> and Manual Gautrand to win the award for Europa City.

The project began with the context Parisian suburbs and countryside and combined that with the qualities that make <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/paris" target="_blank">Paris</a> a world-class city - intimate streets, public transportation, culture, restaurants, and shopping all close together.

The semi-circular shape evolved after careful planning to create a system of streets in the round with perpendicular streets shooting out from the center.

Public transportation into Europe City is convenient with metro and train access and the highway runs right by it as well.

Inside the project, the pedestrian-friendly streets encourage walking or biking and small busses will operate in a circuit.

<a href="http://www.europacity.com/AmbitionArchitectural/Projet/Item/equipe_bjarke_ingels_group-1.sls" target="_blank">Europa City</a> will include shopping, restaurants, cultural activities along with housing and office spaces.

Intimate streets will encourage walking and biking.

The project will also include a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/work-begins-on-bigs-waste-to-energy-ski-slope-project-in-copenhagen/" target="_blank">ski slope</a> and a pool, which are expected to operate in sync to provide energy efficient heat and cooling exchange.

The entire project will be covered in an undulating <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/green-roof" target="_blank">green roof</a> with views of the Parisian skyline.

Paris will be visible from the rooftop park.

Not only does this roof serve as a large public park, it also works as insulation and will treat grey water and infiltrate rainwater for use in the city.

Europa City is expected to be built as a model sustainable city that combines the efficiency of an urban area with the health benefits of living in the country.

A model of Europa City in the context of its surroundings.