As a start, I am going to present an urban project called Maine-Montparnasse re-assembling a metropolitan centrality. The main subject of the project was to discover the site of Montparnasse in Paris (France) as a field of actions in opposition of what the French government (Atelier Parisien d’Urbanisme APUR) calls a ZAC (zone d’aménagement concerté).
It was done, by myself, within the framework of the old French system of graduation (Diplôme), at the architecture school Paris-La-Villette, between December 2006 and September 2007. My tutors, Françoise Fromonot and Ron Kenley, took part of the jury (plus Nasrine Seraji and Alexander Vollebregt) the 17th of September 2007.
It is already quite an old project that pointed out questions about the French traditional urbanism and its point of view on the city . I think that this project was a nice experience to try to introduce a different point of view on such a «well-known » site but the fact, that I did it alone in the context of the graduation system, did not allow me to push the ideas further and I think it could have been more pertinent.
MAINE-MONTPARNASSE, A METROPOLITAN CENTRALITY
Maine-Montparnasse’s plot is considered as a particular space in Paris (it is mainly composed by a commercial centre, a tower and a train station). This area has been a huge problem for Paris town hall that wishes to « requalify » the public space, and to make the « ugly » tower disappear. The aim of the project (the studies of the existing and the design) is to reconsider Maine-Montparnasse not as a pure accumulation of objects but as an urban field (through its flows and effects/affects: 25 millions of travellers pass by the train station in 2005 - SNCF studies, 196 000 passer-by per day in the metro; 4th biggest metro station in Paris - RATP studies in November 2006).
Montparnasse networks - metropolitan scale
Montparnasse networks at different scales - regional and national
Montparnasse's programmes - 3D
The studies of the infrastructure, the public network and the existing programmes reveal that Maine-Montparnasse can be considered as a multi-scale centrality. Local and global programmes relate to local and regional infrastructure networks. This relationship shows that Maine-Montparnasse works as a centre at a local and metropolitan scale. Bakeries, local supermarkets and international brand shops (such as Gallerie Lafayette) coexist and create an unique and atypical complexity in Paris.
The public space or semi-public space (metro or inner corridors of the commercial centre) is organized through the site in a multitude of disconnected spaces. The site seems to be a space where people pass by but never stop. The passer-by does not take advantage of different levels of public space created during the renovation of the 60’s. In fact, the few connections within the different levels of the public space are hidden from the passer-by’s view (lack of continuity and visibility). For example, the Atlantic park or the commercial center’s roof (open to the public) are empty compare to the spatial quality that they offer in such a place in Paris. It seems to be difficult to consider Maine-Montparnasse as a place and it becomes invisible for the public.
RE-ASSEMBLING MAINE-MONTPARNASSE
programmation
The project is focused on the square of Montparnasse and its commercial center. It is based from the walker’s point of view and it tries to create a new speed within the site: a slow speed to make the site a real place.
The aim of the intervention was to create the conditions to appropriate the site of Montparnasse through a surface connecting different pedestrian spaces and a new programmation to enhance this new connections.
this is great. The montparnasse is too big compare to the scale of people living on the apartment. The vibrant and active space of the metro station and the commercial center is overwhelming.
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