Operation “Chemin-de-l’île”

  • Nanterre, France
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Building along the edge of a city park most often takes the form of a built frontage. We propose a solution here, which is to bring the park right into the city. The new apartment blocks slated to be built will be like arrows for these vectors plunging into the trees. Future residents won’t be on the park – they’ll be in it. The park will reach right into the existing city. Groves of tall trees (pines) will be planted in the surrounding streets, avenues and gardens. The idea is to create long, deep lines of interaction between two opposing forces. One of these forces, the built environment, will infiltrate the greenery. The other, the greenery, will infiltrate the city.

 

The buildings we propose will be narrow, extremely fine apartment blocks, their linearity accentuated by means of terraces and balconies. Transparency will be reinforced by use of pilotis that interplay with the treetrunks, and top floors in the shape of different coloured prows will emerge above the treetops.

 

The parallel alignment of the different blocks and their placement in more or less advanced positions inside the park will set up a dynamic and give the impression of an ocean race between a slew of drakkars leaving long trails in their wake.

 

 

Jean Nouvel