Jardins de l'Archipel des Berges de Seine Niki-de-Saint-Phalle, Floating gardens on the Seine riverbanks near Invalides, France.
The Jardins de l'Archipel des Berges de Seine consists of five landscaped metal barges anchored along the riverbank in central Paris near the Invalides district. The floating islands are planted with native vegetation and create a green corridor stretching across the water with varying plant densities throughout.
These floating gardens opened in 2014 as part of Mayor Anne Hidalgo's wider plan to remake the Seine riverbanks into green, walkable spaces for the public. The project launched a larger transformation of how the city uses the river's edge in its central areas.
The archipelago is named after Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002), a Franco-American plastic artist, painter, sculptor and filmmaker. The name was given to the five floating garden islands, each with its own planting density, laid out on metal barges along the Seine.
The gardens are reached by the promenade Gisèle-Halimi, which runs along the Seine in the 7th arrondissement, and they are open only during set hours. The five planted barges sit below the level of the paved walkway, with a low metal railing along the water edge and a concrete retaining wall and handrail on the path side.
Each of the five barges is planted differently, creating small habitats with varying ecological conditions along the river. This patchwork design attracts bird species and insects that are uncommon to find in central Paris and turns the water into a living corridor.
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