QUAI AUX GRAINS

The project seeks to re-define the use of various industrial plots (including “La Minoterie” and the old SNFA factory) in the Ivry Confluences sector, which is currently in full urban transformation. The analysis of the historical footprints (interpreted time), its current urban contexts (present time) and future outlook (planned time) reveals the need to project urban planning at a district level. This analysis approach unveils a series of strengths that will structure the urban project. This leads to the linear courtyard, an element accessible only to pedestrians at the heart of the block courtyard. This element crystalizes the founding idea behind the ZAC’s urban project, calling for “networked parks”. This extended linear courtyard, similar to a ductile public passage, offers various spatial qualities throughout and the possibility of a variety of uses in the public space (ps).

The demands of the private project for participating in this exchange leads us to prolong the axis of the Petits Hôtels street towards the interior and cross the block, creating common sections and shared private spaces (sps).

This axis supports the semi-underground and surface-level car-park, thus creating an operational landscape that interlocks with local topography and the “La Minoterie” plot on the west.

Next to this car-park, a ramp which doubles as urban furniture serves as a lookout and an open access to the community gardens located above the car-park.

The analysis of existing elements leads us to project a system for increasing the density of block courtyards, while the project volumes of the Bradenbourg boulevard and the Pierre Rigaud street extend the reverberations of existing buildings.

This process results in tapered and domestic silhouettes against the street, creating an urban logic which is more integrated into the environment. The alignment over these two elements is ongoing. Likewise, the buildings align to the boundaries of the public space (throughout the public ductile passage). The end result is that the entire itinerary is dotted with unique points of interest, which are duly marked.