An Arboresque Structure

A tree of a different kind will soon "grow" in Montpellier, France. The structure, whose name means White Tree will have balconies instead of branches and a first-floor restaurant instead of roots. "…it will be home to apartments, offices, an art gallery, and a penthouse bar with a panoramic views of Montpellier. ...mountains, river and the sea…apartments are designed so residents are drawn outside "like leaves fanning out to soak up the warm nourishing sunlight."

The White Tree will be located between the city center and the districts of Port Marianne and Odysseum, and the city estimates it will be completed in 2017.

The unconventional building is part of the Montpellier's "21st century Folies" architectural project; architects show the 17-story complex's outside spaces with various plant life, which stick out amid the white building.

Folies — from "feuille," the French word for leaf —  were lavish country manors built in the 18th century, according to the Montpellier Tourist Office. The White Tree will be one of the 12 modern Folies."

vtaylor@nydailynews.com