In Mantes-la-Jolie (France), the area for construction is located near the main neighborhood shops (supermarket, fast food and cinema). Another recent project has changed the appearance of this place. This has enlarged the perspective of the square Henri Dunant. Now, it highlights la maison du sous-préfet. Today, the parking lot is in the heart of this square and the public spaces are separate.

The project, which is part of the Action Coeur de Ville program, is intended to make Place Henri Dunant a pedestrianized area, thus better connecting it to the city center through the neighborhood Cours des Dames. In fact, the games and street furniture that will be installed, are inspired by the urban codes of the Cours des Dames. Following the wishes of the contractor, the new structure of the site will limit unnecessary spaces, which may cause discomfort.

The place has gotten a makeover. Highly green, the area provides a “cool island” which helps to mitigate high temperatures. It reconnects the different areas and facilitates the flux of pedestrian circulation and multiplies the uses of the square. A playground becomes a meeting point, allowing children of the neighborhood; not only to play and enjoy, but also to wait for their cinema shows.

A maximum of materials has been reused from the previous design. The parking lot was bordered by granite. These borders were removed, then cleaned and finally, they were reused in the new parking lot.  Some structures made in gravel were stripped, stored and reused. The land was also “recycled” with the above process, stripping, storing and reusing. The local ecosystem was prioritized to use short circuits.

Website: www.espace-libre.fr/

Project location: Mantes-La-Jolie, France

Design year: 2018

Budget: 850.000 € excl. tax.

Year Built: 2019