Q. Mr. Lehanneur, my question is this: could you go into a bit more detail about the “green space” that you created on the roof of the pavilion? What kind of plant materials are you using there, and how are they being grown exactly? Do you envision that they will be manicured by the parks department, or are they going to be like oases of the wild in the middle of otherwise pristine parks? — Mike in N.Y.C.
Hi, Mike. This garden on the roof grows naturally. The plants are arranged in flat boxes made of stainless steel; each of them contains soil. All the boxes are linked to the trunks by tubes in order to drain the water, from the roof to the ground.
The water is provided by the rain, of course, and by gardeners in the parks department during the summer period. It is beautiful to see those guys on their ladders watering this urban furniture!
The idea of this garden is to reintegrate the plants that were growing in Paris before concrete appeared — when Paris was countryside.
Q. How long did the large, multimedia touch screen last before being smashed by a vandal on a loaner bike? Seriously, does M. Lehanneur have a practical, affordable solution for protecting the screen? — Jason in Uzes, France
Dear Jason: The touch screen in this project does not use the same technology as our phone or tablet. The screen is not touch-sensitive, actually; it is covered by a strong panel of glass. The touch technology is based in the frame. When you put your finger on the glass panel, the frame can analyze precisely where it is. Frankly, regarding the screen, we haven’t had any problem so far with vandals. But a few people tried to steal the chairs (which are made of concrete), probably to get them in their gardens. My clients had told me about such risks during the creative process: “Please, Mathieu, do not design the chairs to be too beautiful.”
Q. Can he come to NYC and design some public bath rooms and rest stops for the disabled? — G. Morris in N.Y.C./N.J.
With pleasure! A few years ago I designed a sleeping capsule for a hotel. It uses the most powerful parameters (light, heat, white noise) to get the user to sleep quickly and deeply. We could imagine such an approach for the city. Please talk about this idea to your mayor.
Q. How do the chess tables in Jardin du Luxembourg work? Can you include a photo, possibly with people using them? — Youknowwho in Wilmington, Del.
If you mean the existing chess tables in Jardin du Luxembourg, you can have a look here.
If you mean the new digital ones I am currently working on, you will have to wait for a couple of months.
Q. I would be interested in learning more about your “devices for palliative care.” I am an experienced oncology clinical nurse specialist with years of working with cancer patients throughout their entire spectrum of need. Plus, I think it’s fair to say I have an eye for design and utility. Look forward to hearing more. — Diane Matousek, Baltimore
Dear Diane, the project, “Tomorrow Is Another Day,” consists of a new “window” installed in each room of a hospital unit. Those new windows are actually devices hung on the wall that display the sky of tomorrow — a very realistic sky that slowly and continuously moves on a wide and round screen. The moving sky is created by a computer that gathers different weather forecasts from Web sites.
The concept is to put the patient in a meditative state by watching it, and what is more important, to help families to start a conversation with the patient. As you may know, it is sometimes very difficult to find a topic of conversation that avoids talk about the future. (The average duration in this unit is 12 days). When patients watch the sky that will appear tomorrow, the conversation can start; the future can exist again. The patient can choose the sky they want to be connected with. It can be the one where they live, or the one of their childhood.
Q. I like the design and I know that this is a station for Wi-Fi, but it just seems so sad to see the single chairs, all pointing away from each other. Is this the future? — EarthMom, Washington, D.C.
Don’t worry, EarthMom! Those chairs are single but swiveling. You can insure your intimacy if you need it, or you can turn to meet the guy beside you. The future is beautiful!
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