Hot zinc roofs: Paris could lose one of its most iconic features to climate change: “You can basically fry eggs on top”

The skyline of Paris has been a favored backdrop for countless artists, photographers, TV shows and movies thanks to the zinc roofs that cover eighty percent of the buildings. Their intrinsic beauty, along with the skills required to construct and maintain them, has even earned them a place on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

However, that iconic roofing is facing serious challenges, shared the Smithsonian magazine. Not only from labor shortages in the craftsmen that work on them, but also from climate change as Europe warms up faster than any other inhabited continent in the world.

Paris’ zinc roofs cooking eggs above and Parisians below

Parisian zinc roofing traces its roots back to the 19th century, when Emperor Napoleon III ordered the city to be transformed from a medieval city into a modern city. The iconic architecture of the city is named after the government official who was charged with the redesign, Georges-Eugène Haussmann, explains Smithsonian.

Zinc was chosen for the roofing material thanks its malleability, which was needed to create the complex ridges, slopes, and decorative details, as well as being relatively inexpensive, thanks to the industrial revolution. Furthermore, it was very durable and maintenance-free, zinc roofs typically last 50 to 60 years but can particularly well-constructed ones can go for more than 100 years without needing to be replaced.

Unfortunately, metal heats up a lot and zinc roofs can easily reach temperatures of 176 degrees. “You can basically fry eggs on top,” architect Raphaël Ménard told Smithsonian. And it isn’t much better for those that live under them either, especially in the cramped attic floor where the chambres de bonnes are located.

These rooms that were once reserved for servants are now apartments, some of which are incredibly small. Those less than 96 square feet are illegal to rent out, but some still are anyways.

Potential climate-proofing fixes available but there’s a problem

It’s not all bad news though. Thanks to the light color of zinc, it reflects a lot of solar radiation and with proper insulation underneath the metal sheets the effects of their accumulated heat on dwellers below can be mitigated. However, that requires slightly changing the slopes causing such climate-proofing reforms to be blocked by state-appointed heritage architects, arguing it would alter Parisian aesthetics.

Another solution would be to green the roofs, i.e. placing gardens on top of them which prevent sunlight from reaching the metal in the first place as well as working as natural air conditioners by releasing moisture into the surrounding air, which cools it as it evaporates. Tim Cousin, an MIT-trained architect and co-founder of Roofscapes, told Smithsonian that “there’s a lot of potential here that feels unused.”

For example, temperature sensors installed on the ceilings of the Academy of Climate on one particularly hot 97-degree day a couple years ago registered nearly 117 degrees in some rooms. But those directly under a green roof showed the air was 32 degrees cooler.

However, the UNESCO designation may also make implementation of these climate proofing techniques more difficult due to the potential to alter the aesthetics of the Parisian skyline. In the meantime, temperatures continue to rise with the number of days above 86 degrees nearly doubling this century compared to last, according to the Paris Climate Agency.

Furthermore, the agency warns that by as soon as 2032, temperatures in The City of Light could be hitting 122 degrees.

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