Paris
Description: Public realm, urban square and planted rooftop for the new Arena, Paris 2024Location: Porte de la Chapelle, ParisArea: 3200 sq. m. (planted terrace)Stages: Concept Design for the Square / All stages for the planted terrace of the ArenaStatus: CompletedPeriod: 2019-2024Client: Ville de ParisTeam Leader: Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France - Ouvrages PublicsArchitects: SCAU + NP2FDjao-Rakitine Team: Irene Djao-Rakitine, Amélia Chevée, Marie Saalburg, Joanna Ederyd
The Arena’s forecourt is the largest pedestrian area at Porte de la Chapelle. It is one of the new squares of Grand Paris, largely planted, like a park where locals, spectators, workers, and visitors meet; a square that connects Paris and Saint Denis and remains active day and night and throughout the year, including outside the Arena events when it is “on standby”. Generous and exclusively pedestrian, the Arena square is a flexible public space for events at a local and regional scale.
The planting density of the square offers many benefits, specifically relevant in the hyper-urban context of the Arena. Lawn surfaces help reduce noise pollution, filter runoff, absorb CO2, and release oxygen. Vegetation helps to cool the environment due to evapotranspiration of tree leaves and grasses. On the Arena terrace, the tree planting of the planters that surround the building mostly including native and non-allergen species. The planted terrace offers a green respite for visitors and reinforces the environmental and social qualities of the project. Fully accessible, the terrace also consists of a playground and a flexible event space, and a large terrace connected to the restaurant.
Located at the confluence of four new projects, the arrival of the Arena supports the creation of a attractive, and connected district renewing the identity of the Porte de la Chapelle.
All images are © Djao-Rakitine, unless otherwise stated.
