In the post-war period, large housing projects were built in the Paris region to address the housing crisis affecting a rural and immigrant population. Today, photographer Laurent Kronental turns his lens toward these buildings, which are both symbols of futuristic modernism and undeniably outdated.
In his series Souvenir of a Future, Laurent Kronental explores these concrete constructions in search of the residents who have aged within these neighborhoods. He photographs them in situ within towers that at times appear mysteriously deserted, as if everyone had abandoned these places—except them. The concrete further reinforces this feeling of solitude and melancholy.
Combining both architecture and portraiture, Souvenir of a Future is a series that more broadly questions the place of the elderly in our society.
Laurent Kronental spent 4 years on this series, which involved visits and conversations with the residents of these futuristic vessels. He used a 4×5 large format analog view camera.
You can explore the entire series on Laurent Kronental’s website.
Also worth reading: the lost illusions of an urban utopia
