Paris Rooftops
Paris is often recognised by its monuments, boulevards and cafés. Yet one of the city's most distinctive features lies above street level.
The zinc rooftops introduced during Haussmann's nineteenth-century transformation have shaped the Parisian skyline for more than a century. Light, durable and remarkably adaptable, they made the famous mansard roofs possible and gradually became part of the city's visual identity.
Today, nearly eighty percent of Parisian rooftops are covered with zinc. The craftsmanship behind them was added to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2024, recognising not only a building technique but a living tradition.
As a watercolour artist, I find these rooftops endlessly fascinating. Their muted blue-grey tones carry traces of weather, craftsmanship and everyday life. Chimneys, dormer windows and rain gutters become quiet markers of time. Seen together, they form another portrait of Paris — one that is rarely noticed from the streets below.
This painting is part of my ongoing exploration of places where architecture, material and memory meet.
This essay first accompanied the painting on Daurama Project's social media, where new works and works in progress are shared regularly.
Medium: Watercolour on paper
Series: Places to Remember
Location: Paris, France
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