With its iconic Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, Paris has long been famous for its storied architecture. But over the decades the French capital has seen a rise in contemporary buildings. Soon it will have yet another, thanks to one of the most exciting architecture firms in the world today. Beijing-based MAD Architects’ first residential project in Europe was recently revealed by Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo. The undulating building will be situated in Clichy-Batignolles, a former industrial neighborhood in Paris’s 17th arrondissement. In the past few years, the location has gone through a rapid revitalization, most aptly seen with such projects as the courthouse designed by Renzo Piano .

To build the new building, dubbed UNIC, MAD will collaborate with the French architecture firm Biecher Architectes. “We worked closely with the local government, city planners, and local architects in a series of workshops to ensure UNIC is a creative and iconic residential project united with the community,” said MAD’s founder and principal partner Ma Yansong in a statement. The 71,000-square-foot building will contain 13 floors and rise 164 feet in the air. Each of the floors bends outward in its own dynamic way, creating a sense that the building is floating above the ground. This scheme is, according to the firm, “an attempt to blur the boundary between the architecture and nature.”

A view of the structure from a nearby courtyard.

It’s an exciting moment for the 12-year-old firm, as it continues designing some of the boldest structures around the world . UNIC, which will be no exception, is expected to be completed by 2017.