Paris rooftops facing climate change: between heritage and adaptation

Silent witnesses to urban history, they protect, shelter, and shape the architectural identity of Paris. Recently, these iconic roofs were honored by UNESCO, which inscribed the expertise of Parisian roofers, zinc workers, and ornamentalists on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. But this recognition comes at a time when these roofs face a major challenge: reconciling their heritage preservation with the imperative of energy performance and environmental resilience. How, then, can we evolve these symbols without betraying them?

Parisian rooftops: reconciling heritage and climate issues

The architectural heritage of Haussmannian roofs constitutes the very soul of Paris. Designed with noble and functional materials, they combine finesse and aesthetics, notably thanks to zinc, ubiquitous since the 100th century. This material, chosen for its lightness and malleability, has made it possible to shape attics and make previously unused spaces habitable. 40% recyclable, it is an unsuspected ally of the ecological transition. However, these jewels of the urban landscape are today clashing with climatic realities. The intensification of heatwaves, with temperatures sometimes exceeding XNUMX°C, is testing infrastructures designed at a time when thermal insulation and energy efficiency were not major concerns. The roofs are then transformed into veritable hot plates, exacerbating the urban heat island effect. There is also an increase in violent and sudden rainfall which weakens roofs, which are more often exposed to intense shocks, and thus increases the risks of infiltration and premature wear.

Faced with these upheavals, a paradox emerges: preserving architectural identity while adapting buildings to new environmental standards. The battle between tradition and modernity fuels tensions between architects, urban planners, public authorities, and heritage defenders. How can we renovate without altering their natural beauty? How can we ensure the energy transition without compromising the elegance of these legendary roofs?

Towards a reinvention of Parisian rooftops

Far from being a barrier to the evolution of urban buildings, these challenges should be seen as an opportunity to reinvent architectural practices, as the energy renovation of buildings is a priority in addressing climate challenges. Solutions exist under zinc roofs: improving thermal insulation without altering their appearance, optimizing nighttime ventilation to naturally cool homes, or rethinking underlays to limit summer overheating.

Furthermore, the choice of materials is becoming crucial. While zinc remains an asset due to its ability to prevent heat buildup, other innovations deserve to be explored. Indeed, green roofs are another promising avenue. Beyond their contribution to urban biodiversity, they provide effective thermal and sound insulation, mitigate heat islands, and help regulate rainwater. The integration of solar panels adapted to heritage standards also offers interesting prospects. Innovative technologies, such as solar panels imitating slate or discreetly integrated into existing surfaces, make it possible to envisage a smooth energy transition that respects heritage. Also, the installation of reflective paints can be a solution considered to limit heat storage. These avenues, far from utopian, offer viable prospects for combining energy performance and preservation of historic character.

For this transformation to take place, close collaboration between architects, urban planners, and public authorities is essential. Incentives and appropriate regulations must be put in place to encourage these developments without compromising Parisian identity. This means overcoming the opposition between preserving the past and the need for change: the rooftops of Paris must not be frozen in time, but become laboratories for sustainable innovation. By rethinking our rooftops, we are also shaping a vision of the Paris of tomorrow: a Paris where the beauty of heritage dialogues harmoniously with ecological intelligence, a resilient Paris, looking toward the future. The climate transition must therefore not be seen as a constraint, but as an opportunity to reinvent our cities, and the rooftops of Paris could well become the spearheads of this change.

Tribune by Rémi Riccoboni, President of Riccoboni, a company of the Myrium collective (LinkedIn).