#Breathtaking: Amazing White House Built Like A Tree With Trunk And Branches You’ll Die To Live In (PHOTOS)

Piercing the skyline and sprouting branch-like balconies, an apartment block resembling a giant tree is set to come to life in Montpellier, France.

Aptly called The White Tree (L’Arbre Blanc), at 17-storeys, the high-rise building embodies the capabilities of 21 century architecture. As its name suggests, the building’s unusual shape takes inspiration from the tree form, with endless stair-step balconies protruding off the building’s trunk-like core in the same way branches do on trees.

Appearing to grow out of the ground, the plans for the structure draw further comparisons to a tree. In addition to the balconies jutting off in different directions like branches, these will be complimented by functional decks that provide shade for adjoining units, thus creating a tree-like set of stairs that encase the building.

Tree in the sky: An apartment block unlike others, the building’s balconies are inspired by tree branches, which draw natural light and create an open atmosphere for vegetation

Construction on the mixed-use high-rise building is set to start in July next year, with completion expected by December 2017

The unique 56-metre tall tower will feature 120 residential units and office space along with a restaurant, panoramic bar and art gallery. Visitors and guests will be welcomed to the tower by the restaurant and gallery while the penthouse bar will offer views of the coastline and mountains.

Its design will invite vegetation on balconies to thrive due to the open atmosphere, which is ideal for plants. Against the buildings white facade, this will create a vertical garden with bring colour and contrast. Bringing life to the tree building, residents will have the impression they are outside when they are indoors by mixing the two settings. 

With the outdoors an important part of life in Montpellier, the structure’s balconies draw natural light, absorbing sunshine the same way leaves do. Gizmodo.com.au reported the building’s architects were inspired by a tree’s efficient properties and the city’s tradition for outdoor living, hence the name L’Arbre Blanc, which translates from French to English as The White Tree.

Standing tall at 56 metres, the building will pierce the Montpellier skyline, with a penthouse bar offering spectacular views of the coast and nearby mountains 

Offering 120 apartments, The White Tree will offer residents the chance to pick from various units with different floor plans due to structure’s unique form

Piercing the skyline, the building will be set between Montpellier’s new and old districts, sitting halfway between newly developed districts Odysseum and Port Marianne and the city center. From the building, residents will have easy access to nearby the pedestrian and cycling paths.

It was announced in March that the 10,000 square metre French-designed building will be built by Japanese architects and fittingly, the building will draw and blend influences from both countries.

With a modular design, this allows the mixed-use building to feature many different layouts with stunning panoramic views of a nearby mountain range and the ocean. Design Boom reported this will allow residents to choose a floor plan from many varying layouts and encourage free choice architecture.

The White Tree will become Montpellier’s second folly structure because if it’s extravagant form and ability to challenge the traditional notions of architecture

A restaurant will greet people on the ground floor, while nearby pedestrian and cycle paths will encourage residents to connect with the environment

But the project is getting attention for all the right reasons, after being dubbed the second architectural folly of the 21st century.

Part of Montpellier’s plans to build 12 new follies across the city, Architects Journal reported that it will join the first building that won a competition to be built. Selected last year, with construction due to start this year, the 11-storey holiday apartment building features curved and stack levels.

An architectural folly is when a building’s purpose is considered to be for aesthetic pleasure. While the White Tree building is still functional, it’s extravagant design and ability to challenge traditional notions of architecture help qualify it as an architectural folly.

Construction is set to start on The White Tree in July 2015 and is expected to finished in December 2017.

The 10,000 square metre French-designed building will be built by Japanese architects and draw influences from both countries

Stunning: The tower will sit between Montpellier’s new and old districts, spurting out of the ground like a giant tree with branch-like balconies in every direction

Folly: Last April Farshid Moussavi Architecture won a competition to build the first folly building (pictured) in Montpellier. Work is due to start on the building this year

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