We researched a new type of contemporary space, the railway station as a city square. Looking to discover continuity between the exterior city space and the interior station space, we developed a parquet of urban activities: transport, commerce, and culture. We thought of a contemporary Piazza San Marco, with the station as the basilica. A long glass gallery of exchange on three levels parallel to the existing station acts as the common denominator for subways, commuter trains, and TGV international trains. more

We researched a new type of contemporary space, the railway station as a city square. Looking to discover continuity between the exterior city space and the interior station space, we developed a parquet of urban activities: transport, commerce, and culture. We thought of a contemporary Piazza San Marco, with the station as the basilica. A long glass gallery of exchange on three levels parallel to the existing station acts as the common denominator for subways, commuter trains, and TGV international trains.

To define this urban square, we proposed a major building vector linking two parts of the city to the river Seine. A place of transit and a place of activity, the Vector is composed of a curved set of buildings with shops on the ground level, a suspended garden on the intermediate level, and offices, hotels, a cultural center, gyms, etc. on the upper levels. On the south side of the Vector, we designed a large park linking new public green space and the existing garden of the Salpetrière. back

Credits

SCHEDULE
Competition 2006
SIZE
300,000 sq. meters
BUDGET
$300,000,000
CLIENT
SEMAPA City of Paris
TEAM
Lead Designer: Bernard Tschumi. Key Personnel: Véronique Descharrières, Jean-Jacques Hubert, Antoine Santiard, with Dominic Leong, Ben Edelberg, Paula Tomisaki back

Program: Infrastructure, Master Plan