Archibald: Paris facades

Look up. Nearly 5,000 Paris facades tell you their story. Each morning, a facade of the day; each walk draws itself on the map and moves the monthly challenge forward. Open the app in the street: it shows the facades around you, with their history, written and checked. A wrought-iron balcony, a door older than the Revolution, a shopfront whose sign outlived every trade behind it: Archibald tells you what they are. Each month brings a challenge: an era to hunt for in the street, collections of facades to complete, a weekly streak, and a leaderboard by nickname, which you can leave. An Apple or Google account opens the challenges to you. The 18 guided walks take you across a neighbourhood: medieval Paris, the covered passages, the Art Nouveau of Auteuil, Molière from one bank to the other. Or wander: Archibald points out the handsome facades as you pass. Your notebook is a stamp album:…