Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Dust to dust, stones to stones, electricity to electricity!


I've been passing by this beautiful industrial building for several weeks now and I have been willing to photograph it for a long time. Last night, I did! It's called Le Losserand (because it's located rue Losserand) and it's an old sub power station built in the 20's, that has been turned into offices this year. The interesting story is that its architect, Emmanuel Saadi, embedded no less than 45 000 solar cells in it, in order to produce some electricity (about 70 80kW/h, which is not much, but better than nothing!). The other interesting part is that they kept its old original structure, its stones in particular, called Meulières and very typical of Paris.

46 comments:

  1. Very cool photo. I thought it was the ice bar again.

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  2. I cannot be first. How did that happen? Where is everybody?

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  3. Well, Lois, I did some work here at the office, then looked back at PDP, and behold! A new photo.

    Really great photo of a great looking building.

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  4. As this loaded, in half light as my screen was tilted, it looked like a space ship about to take off! Eric has been having an interesting evening, I thought.. :)

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  5. Architectural freak that I am, I went to find rue Losserand on Googlemaps. The 'street view' is complete for Paris now, and you can stroll around the city and see photos of all the building fronts. I did not find this one, unfortunately, but StreeView on Googlemaps is really really cool. Check it out.

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  6. Oh what a beautiful building! And what a nice, interesting story behind it. It must be even niver to see it in person, I bet the effect it´s quite something.

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  7. Wow, that many solar cells in one building. It seems like an interesting building, probably great office spaces as well. Interesting photo and history, Eric.

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  8. Ooooh my, this is lovely. My poor computer must be getting multiple personality disorder from all the photos of Eric's I keep setting as my background.

    Streetview is definitely a very cool idea!

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  9. I was reminded of the ice bar, too, Lois. And congratulations on your GF. Icicles in your crown, do you think?

    Cool photo, Eric (speaking of ice). Of course all that solar energy will melt any ice we come up with.

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  10. Really gorgeous, and I love the angle. It's a building that should be looked up to!

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  11. This is just an awesome photo, Eric. I love the golden light off to the right of the silvery blue building. (I think you are secretly drawn to images with blues and golds in them. Not everything you take has these two, but a high proportion, it seems to me.) I had the same spaceship thought as Lynn. Very, Very Nice Photo!

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  12. Eric, you mentioned "meulieres" and that word reminded me of reading about Auvers-sur-Oise...a short train ride from Paris. In this quaint town, on "rue des Meulieres," van Gogh aficianados can check out The Auberge Ravoux, an inn where van Gogh set up shop (circa 1890s) and lived for a spell. Always wanted to make the trek, but never got around to it. Perhaps others have or others might be interested in another artistic day trip from Paris.

    Lois...congrats GF! You "ROCK" as does this photo. BIDDA BOOM!

    Soosha...nice new profile photo! You do look studious. ;-)

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  13. Do I? And here I was just happy I got my webcam working again so I took an updated photo.

    And you're right, a good portionof Eric's photos are toned blue and gold. Wonderful color combination, IMHO, since I do bleed blue and all. GO BLUES!

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  14. Oh yes, and I'm muy happy to see that your musical side is back, Coltrane. Makes me smile.

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  15. Fantastic angle!! I love how the light is shining through the windows,and sun peaking out.Beautiful colors too.

    [[ To whoever left a comment on my LJ , Thanks for clearing that up for me about my Paris Photos:)]
    btw who are you on here?

    (well blogger is being wierd? it's not letting me sign into my LJ name,so thats who the''anonymous'' poster is)]]

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  16. Very interesting building! And I enjoyed the history of pizza in yesterday's post.

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  17. To all of you who called this a beautiful building, I don't really think so. It looks like a sideways toaster grill, but since I'm an environmentalist, I do agree that anything using "natural" energy is a plus today.

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  18. It looks much prettier to me when enlarged. I can see the solar cells(I think that's what they are ) in the windows. It almost looks like bits of stained glass.

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  19. It does look like stained glass or glass tiles. Love the stonework.

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  20. Hi Jeff, I too was working, and that is why I was an hour late to see the new photo du jour. I couldn't believe my eyes that the PDP gang wasn't around. :- O That's my Edvard Munch face.

    Soosha, I love your profile photo (again); very sexy, cute and you look sooooo pensive.

    Petrea, "Icicles in your crown..." Then I would be the ice queen. I think small micro chips because that is what those small green solar cells reminded me of. I had a pair of earrings once that were designed with micro chips -- that was during the dot.com boom. The designer was local from Silicon Valley, daaa, ya think?

    Coltrane, Merci for the drum roll and the BIDDA BOOM! -- you always put a smile on my face :-)

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  21. Lois, you're too warm and sweet to be an ice queen.

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  22. Really fascinating photo!! If it weren't for the French words on the frieze of the building it would be difficult to say exactly where this place could be found...IMO! ;-)

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  23. Nice photo, Eric, ... as usual ;-)
    But what's the size of this building? difficult to say....

    Lois, congrats for the Crown! Will you add some paintings on it?

    Lois, Jeff, Eric posted too late for us Parisians ;-(

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  24. You look great, Soosha! I do love it when we change our profile pics.

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  25. I thought I posted a comment last night, but Blogger was acting very wonky. What I wanted to say was
    that Eric's "eye" just keeps getting better, I like Soosha's new pic a lot, Coltrane is a font of info— must be a teacher or something :~)—and Lois should have rays of light emanating from her GF crown!

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  26. Aha! Voila! Found it. 170 and 168 bis rue Raymond Losserand. En face de Hôital Saint-Joseph. Here's a link: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/3827661

    I thought the chips were falling off. On Googlemaps Street View you can see that. the "missing" chip spaces allow light into the building. It's more interesting knowing this. you also can see the entire facade. It's a fascinating building.

    Once again, good eye, Eric. De la pizza à photoelectric, dans la nuit. Instead of le Roi du Soleil, you have become one of the Children of the Night (Light)!

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  27. Now that's what I call a great photo! Love from the Prairie. xoxo.

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  28. Eric
    I really like this photo but how did you get it done? Did you lie on the ground? You will get in trouble one of these days... I am telling you!

    Lois
    GF! You grabbed it! Well done.

    One a different subject, who is planning to attend the PDP picnic?

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  29. Wow, I love being GF! All these compliments, so much attention. Balzac wrote that it is a sinful French trait. Yes, I know it is; so I try very hard not to pursue compliments or admiration. Merci, I am humbled.

    Jeff, Merci for the link and all the back-up info. I love architecture. I started drawing buildings when I was six. My first was a brick apartment building that was across the rue from our cottage in Hollywood. At the time I thought to myself, this is difficult but I really want to draw it -- I just really like that building. And that's when I realized there are a lot of buildings that I really liked. I felt overwhelmed at the possibility of not being able to draw every one of them.

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  30. Lois: you don't have to pursue compliments or admiration, I think they pursue you.

    Rose: when is said picnic?

    Jeff: I'm on my way to check out the link. Thanks in advance.

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  31. Jeff, thanks for the link!
    The picture there gave me an answer to my question ;-))

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  32. lois, speaking of all this attention, can't say as I've been called "sexy" in a loooong time. I don't really think so, but thanks anyway! And thanks to lynn and alexa too!

    WHY is blogger not letting me post my comment?!? UGH!

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  33. If she sees the entire facade, maybe Gutsywriter won't dislike it so much. Eric's theme is the lighting (of something seen everyday on the street--very Impressionistic). But the whole building in sunlight is a different visual experience.

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  34. Hello everybody, from 2 permanent Parisians and 2 wanabees...
    Guess who ;-)
    We toasted, ...again, to all the PDP usual suspects!

    Love from Guille, Katiefornia, PHX-CDG and Thib, live from la Cigale Recamier

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  35. WOW! Sounds like you four are having a great time.

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  36. Yes we do ;-))

    And another toast to you, GrammaAnn!

    We just finished our caramel soufflé.. You know, it's really great

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  37. Hey Thib, what music is playing in the background? ;-) Sounds like a grand time all! Think of me as I race to teach my night class. Cheers!

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  38. No real music, only restaurant ambiance... You know, the sound of a nice red wine turning in our glass, and us 4 sharing good PDP memories

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  39. Way to rub it in, Thib! Glad you 4 are having fun.

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  40. I read Katiefornia backwards - and it came out sort of like forni - - nevermind.

    Cheers to the awesome foursome!

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  41. must google Cigale Recamier so I can "see" you all there together

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  42. I'm really sorry I could not make it this time guys. But I'm telling you, you're much better off without me tonight! I would have been a bore!

    Rose, no, I did not lie on the ground! I just tried to take the best angle I could. I'm not fully satisfied but, I'm never!!

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  43. Hey Guille, Thib, Phx and Katie! Glad you're having a great time together - but - where are we going to see the pics apart from Thib's? lol. Guille you can guest some photos at mine if you like. Ohhhh wish I was there... have a drink for me! xxxx

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  44. Hey! It's very late now, but I can see the brown awning of la Cigale Recamier, near the corner of rue de Sevres, on Googlemap Street View. I assume you are/were inside, but it looks lovely. Thanks for thinking of us while you were sipping.

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  45. Lynn, only Guille had a camera. She took a few nice pics that we should see one of these days ;-)
    Jeff, we were inside, yes! But we could have been outside, on the covered terrasse.

    We really had a nice evening (nice dinner too) and you all were in our talks and in our hearts.

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  46. How awesome! Something built in the 20s that reflects ideas we are just now trying to bring out - in the 21st century! Great shot. I like the blue colouring of the building.

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