Montpleyel(+)
- Location
- Saint Denis, France
- Status
- Competition
- Year
- 2017
- Surface
- 173000 m²
- Client
- BNP Paribas Real estate
The project is divided in two sites: The first one, the so called “meta Ilot” will host a very large variety of housing typologies but also office spaces and activities such shops, markets and a theater.
The second site, “the inhabited bridge”, developed by partner BIG is intended to animate the bridge connection between the two parts of the city. It’s mainly composed of office spaces but its ground floor is fully occupied by a food market which will help connect the future inhabitants of the districts.
On the Meta ilot, the goal here was to give back to the density a human scale. In order achieve this, different towers and buildings of the project are pixelated and carved to make the transition between low rise and high rise more progressive. This allow to achieve the high density requirements without having too close proximity between building’s facades.
The masterplan brief requested a large public park and the ambition here was to go beyond this to and make the entire project a an expansive vertical park covering the entire site. Each green pixel is then assigned to a catalog of functions depending on its position and programme location. On the lower levels which are publically accessible, there are a variety of sports and cultural activities with 24-hour access for visitors and residents. In contrast, the higher floors, green terraces have activities shared between residents and workers. The projects acts as a gigantic fresh green pocket giving a proper home to flora and fauna of the district.
The project has two distinguishable characteristics. The first visible from distance, is its pixelated urban silhouette acting as a landmark for the grand Paris scale. The second is only visible on closer encounters offering a diversity of architectural language that spreads smoothly from one building to another, thus giving different identities to each of the masterplan entities.
In order to achieve a smooth transition in between the current industrial past and the future development, future activities will be installed on site before actual demolitions begin. From the start, partners will be able to introduce themselves to the inhabitants of the district since current buildings will be occupied whists the project is developed.
Gallery
Credits
- Architect
- Principal in charge
- Design team
- Partners