You can read about the history of the creation of Part-Dieu here.
Par-Dieu is a "romance with an open ending": the project, which started in the late 1950s, is in constant development. Almost 40 years have passed since the completion of the construction of the modernist complex (administrative, business, trade and cultural center) and the new station. On the one hand, Part-Dieu has largely lived up to its expectations by becoming another city center. Today it is the second largest cluster of office real estate in France (56 thousand jobs and 1.150 million m2 - that is, a quarter of all offices in the Lyon metropolitan area), “docked” with a powerful transport hub. On the other hand, it has not escaped the problems typical for similar projects of the 1950s-1980s, and still falls short of the historical center in popularity. Lyons still prefer the Peninsula, where life, unlike Part-Dieu, does not freeze in the evening, with the closure of offices and institutions.
The area has changed a lot over the past decades. The process of its reconstruction spread to the territories adjacent to the "core" of the region (first of all, along the railway, and on both sides of it). Buildings have grown in height and are compacted. The loneliness of the Par-Dieu tower came to an end - new skyscrapers began to appear, built in a new planning paradigm, i.e. following not the artistic design of city planners, but the requirements of the real estate market. From now on, the tallest building in Lyon is the Incity Tower (architects Valode et Pistre / AIA) 200 m high - together with a spire. Since the launch of La Defense Lyon, populated mainly by government agencies and large companies, the number of small and medium-sized enterprises has grown in the city. However, so far Par-Dieu real estate is not very attractive for small firms, although they are interested in space in this area. The station, having quickly reached its design capacity, has long been operating with congestions that reduce Lyon's competitive advantages. At the turn of the century, the process of "post-mobilization" reached Par-Dieu, which started in the historic center: personal transport is giving way step by step to pedestrians, cyclists and public transport. And these changes "provoke" the improvement of open spaces with which pedestrians directly interact: the urban "parterre" and the first floors of buildings.
The changes that were taking place required new urban plans that were supposed to remove obstacles to the harmonious development of Part-Dieu. Over the past 30 years, three such projects have been created: the first in 1994 (architect René Provost), the second in 2002 (architect Jean-Pierre Buffy) and, finally, the most ambitious of all, initiated by the local authorities in 2009 and approved in 2014 year. The current plan, covering 177 hectares, aims to streamline and systematize the development of the area until 2030. It was developed by the AUC bureau (architects François Decoster, Jamel Cluche and Caroline Poulin), known in Russia for participating in the competition for "Greater Moscow" in 2012. The AUC is delegated the right to coordinate its implementation.
Provost and Buffy's plans were designed to correct the design mistakes of the 1960s and 70s: first of all, to simplify access to the roof of the stylobate and to eliminate the isolation of the modernist cluster from the surrounding territories, which is caused by busy traffic along the perimeter of the complex. The ramps and bridges leading to the roof of the stylobate were replaced with stairs and lifts; part of the stylobate surface in front of the Part-Dieu tower has been landscaped, which was taken advantage of by the owners of restaurants located in the shopping center. In parallel with this, the street profiles along the eastern and northern boundaries of the complex are being changed. Thus, the continuity of traffic around the block is disrupted and, accordingly, the attractiveness of road transit is reduced. This facilitates the movement of pedestrians and converts streets into truly public spaces.
The AUC plan remains consistent with its predecessors, but not only on a larger scale, but also contains a number of new ideas.
The main objectives of the AUC plan are:
- “smart” building compaction, i.e. an increase in the density of some sites (up to the construction of skyscrapers) and a compensatory decrease in others;
- reorganization of pedestrian and transport traffic;
- reconstruction of the station complex;
- arrangement of public spaces (including improving the connection of the stylobate of the modernist complex with the ground level) and combining them into a single system;
- active public use of the basement floors;
- "soft" reconstruction of the modernist architectural heritage with the preservation of its valuable characteristics and the development of an architectural regulation (design code) for new construction;
- construction of housing with infrastructure
- elimination of the remaining isolation of the area and its transformation into a full-fledged place to live.
One of the key elements of the AUC strategy is the concept of “socles actifs”, which will be incorporated into the PLU (Plan local d'urbanisme). The idea is to actively use the first floors of buildings in the interests of the city, to make them “work” for residents. According to the concept, the basement levels should house a variety of public functions (restaurants, auditoriums, showrooms, coworking spaces, shops, workshops, gyms or meeting places), thereby enlivening the urban space. The first projects to meet these requirements are Silex 1 (AIA) and Silex 2 (ma architectes), which are being built next to the 1970s EDF tower under reconstruction.
It is planned to reorganize about 30 hectares of open spaces in the interests of pedestrians (eliminate barriers, gaps, smooth out level differences). Pedestrians already account for about 60% of traffic, and this number will increase in the future. The AUC, together with the Belgian landscape designer Bas Smets, proposed the concept of “an easily accessible surface of the earth” [“sol facile”], which encompasses not only the La Defense Lyon, but also the adjacent neighborhoods. Open spaces should be reorganized and arranged as naturally and informally as possible, obeying already established trajectories and differentiating in accordance with the functions on the ground floors. The most important task is the possible complete mutual integration of the ground level and the stylobate, which was not sufficiently envisaged by the Provost plan of the 1990s. In addition, intermediate levels of buildings and roof terraces must be used.
Although it is not difficult to cross the La Défense on foot today due to its compact size, it is easy to get lost there due to the lack of clear landmarks. The main obstacle on the way of the pedestrian is the giant "monolith" of the shopping center: firstly, it is not full of entrances, and secondly, it is not very convenient to use it as a passage. The authors of the reconstruction of the shopping mall are faced with the difficult task of "feeding the wolves and saving the sheep": it cannot be closed - it's like slaughtering the goose that lays the golden eggs, but leaving it in its current state is also impossible. Competition from shops in the historic center, which already attracts more customers than Part-Dieu, is also pushing for transformation. This is a worldwide trend - shopping streets are becoming more popular than sealed shopping malls. It is no coincidence that
the mission to solve this puzzle is entrusted to MVRDV, renowned for its ingenuity.
AUC proposes to integrate the roof of the shopping center with new activities, creating a new "cultural axis". A chain of public spaces will connect Paul Bocuse's gastronomic market, Maurice Ravel concert hall, a new multiplex (due to move out of the mall), a large bookstore and a library. In the future, it can be extended to the department's archive building, recently built on the eastern side of the station. The importance of this idea lies not only in creating an open area for various cultural events, incl. regional scale, which should strengthen the position of Par-Dieu against the background of other territories. The Cultural Axis, which runs through the Lyon City Cluster, will bring the complex out of its isolation and strengthen the station's links with the river and the old town.
The Par-Dieu transport hub is one of the largest in France: today it serves 164,000 passengers a day. The goal by 2030 is 292 thousand (i.e., an increase of almost 2 times). The station itself currently serves about 120 thousand people daily (despite the fact that it was originally designed for 35 thousand), and in 2030, in the future, their number will increase to 220 thousand. The station needs to be reconstructed, freeing it from non-core functions and increasing the area. Bureau Arep, which has developed the project for its renovation, proposes to double the lobby, and move numerous shops and services to new side galleries. New southern entrances will also appear (both from the west, in the alignment of the Part-Dieu shopping center, and from the east). AUC recommends a complete change of both station facades: monumental postmodern portals will be replaced by completely transparent stained-glass windows, leveling the border between external and internal spaces.
Part-Dieu: Key Figures
Part-Dieu today:
56,000 jobs
2,200 enterprises
1,150,000 m2 of offices
21,000 inhabitants
500 thousand daily movements
120 thousand railway passengers and 165 thousand public transport users per day
Part-Dieu in 2030:
+ 35,000 jobs
+ 30 hectares of open public spaces and landscaped sidewalks
+ 650,000 m2 of offices
+ 2,200 residential units
+ 3000 inhabitants
+ 100,000 railway passengers
+ double enlargement of the station
