Zinc roofs, greenery... Are France's building architects holding back cities' ability to adapt to heatwaves?
Investigation: With temperatures now hovering around 40 degrees Celsius, cooling city centers is becoming a health emergency. But elected officials deplore the "blocking" role played by this body of civil servants from the Ministry of Culture, responsible for protecting heritage.
A roofer works on the zinc roof of a Parisian building in November 2024. LOUISE DELMOTTE/AP/SIPA
They are one of the aesthetic symbols of Paris. An iconic element of heritage, therefore considered unshakeable by some. But do zinc roofs, which give the capital its unique color, still have a place in a city where climatologists no longer rule out peaks of 50°C in the coming decades? Every year, when summer arrives, the question resurfaces. Because this metal, which covers 80% of Paris's buildings, traps heat: a zinc surface exposed to the sun can reach 80°C during heatwaves of 40°C. Enough to make life hell for those who live below. A study, published in 2023, presents the French capital as the deadliest European city during heatwaves , with an average of 400 heat-related deaths every year.
To cool large cities and adapt them to today's climate, and especially to tomorrow's, the solutions are known: greening and de-artificialize soils, paint roofs white, accelerate thermal renovations of housing, to delay as much as possible the use of air conditioning . But they are not always easy to implement. Because of their cost, but also the conflicts that sometimes arise with the d…
Article reserved for subscribers.
Log inSummer offer: €1/month for 6 months
Le Nouvel Observateur
