Le Forum

Reims, France

A project aspiring to reclaim a territory, our work puts in place the unique urban tools of this city that should not fracture, but re-establish continuity and fluidity, re-create adventure, unpredictability, surprise and emotion in a passion to uncover the potential of this exceptional site.

This is the storyboard starting from the square in front of the railway station to the ‘Porte de Mars’, passing through promenades to the new ‘Place du Boulingrin’, rediscovering the cemetery in the north, the transformed ruins of the medieval ‘Porte de Mars’ all while discovering the historic patrimony and the different adjacent Champagne houses.

A railway wasteland is transformed into public space, housing a scope of facilities and different ways of living. A restored green corridor links the two banks of the river, and the redesigned entrance to the city allows transport to flow in and out. A large promenade leads from the ‘Pont de Laon’ up to the ‘Cartonnerie’, and a new pedestrianized passageway allows visitors to access and wander around the ‘Place Amédée Doublier.’

Our intention is to combine notions of landscape, urban planning and architecture. The creation of new public space not only ensures the articulation of varying urban sites, but creates harmonious links, favors and enables fluid movement, occupies unused space, and reveals Reims’ history.

This global study is a unique chance to initiate a regeneration process, establish a sense of coherence and reinvent a place which is pleasant to live, work and relax in. These sites also offer an interesting urban structure in terms of their organization, history and atypical typologies. The surfaces of the city are equally as interesting in terms of open land, such as the green space and open rail tracks. Harmonizing these existing qualities with new construction and developments will allow us to create a territory which will be naturally incorporated within the surrounding environment, and contribute to the elegance of this city.

Program
Urban studies + programmation + operational monitoring for the ‘Centre-Gare’

Location
Le Forum
Train station
Reims, France

Schedule
Competition: 2015

Client
Ville de Reims

Project management
Lead architect: Hamonic+Masson & Associés, associate architect: CoBe

Engineering
Environmental: Franck Boutté, security: Cronos Conseil, light design: ON, graphic designer: Franck Tallon

Renderings
LUXIGON

Team
Arnaud Grenié