Grand Paris Urban Design Code

The Team was appointed by the Société du Grand Paris to conduct a six month study to deliver an Urban Design Code for their new industrial and maintenance sites which will be built in support of the new transport system in the greater Parisian region.

This initiative aims to connect the areas surrounding the French capital with a complex network of automated public transport, set up around 57 new stations. The building of these sites will begin the Grand Paris transport initiative as a whole and therefore they play a significant role in establishing the first impressions of the Société du Grand Paris in the city. The industrial and maintenance sites have dual importance; firstly they and their occupants keep the trains and the network running efficiently so their technical function must not be compromised. Secondly they represent the image of the Société du Grand Paris and so must transmit an image of forward thinking, efficient and effective transport provider.

The Design Code aims to secure high quality architecture with a coherent approach to site layout and organization, form, mass, structure, cladding, lighting and public realm, that conveys a coherent brand identity and a positive image of the Société du Grand Paris. The chosen sites for the maintenance and industrial facilities are located near the strategic poles of the transport network. They will be conceived as a showcase for the innovation taking place, through their architectural character as well as their relationship to their surroundings, users and inhabitants.

The first phase of the project is currently underway to define a clear branding strategy for the sites. Our role in this stage is to provide advice and design direction, supported by a research on well-targeted branding strategy examples, to define the elements of the brand’s identity. We will consider several strategies in balancing out the brand identity and the identities of specific sites, and lay out several scenarios of implementation. Following the designation of a preferred scenario, we will define the general objectives, the architectural elements to be worked on, based upon chosen themes and how to physically translate them.

The final stage will see the Team acting on behalf the SGP to ensure detailed designs coming forward for each site comply with the spirit and directions of the Code. The team expects to be involved from conception throughout their development to completion. We believe that the evolution of the code over time is essential, in order to achieve the full potential of each site for creativity.