rouen (fr

sItE proposEd by

ciTy oF rouen WiTH THose pArTners on THe projecT: rFF - sncF

oWnEr(s) of tHE sItE

ciTy oF rouen, rFF - sncF, sTATe (WATerWAys And mAin roAds)

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IntErvIEW

of the Site’S repreSentative AlbErt-gIllEs coHEn, Site expert anD rouEn MunIcIpAlIty (excerptS froM the coMpetition brief)

presentation of the site within the context of the city development and in terms of strategy

geographical coherence makes the Seine embankment an essential guiding thread in the transformation of the heart of the conurbation. More broadly, these ideas of metamorphoses relate in passing to different scales, where the “Seine axis” emerges as a vector of integration and territorial development: – the scale of the wide areas through which the river flows from paris to le havre (a structural, logistical and ecological economic network), including the arrival of a high-speed rail line between paris and normandie; – the scale of rouen conurbation, enhanced by its position as a landmark and major development hub; – the scale of the old town and the newly restored attractiveness of the city and its river. as a showcase for the city’s contemporary image and its associated structures, the municipality wishes to change the perception of the river, giving the city’s population multiple ways of using and enjoying the area. the arrival of the station, the renovation of Île lacroix, the handling of the Seine embankments are significant events, essential factors in the transformation of the east district, which require a transversal approach informed by sociocultural concerns.

How can the site be integrated in the issue of the adaptable city and how do you consider this issue?

the station, still some 15 years off, and the island – a built-up and inhabited space with remodelled boundaries – will need to adapt to each other. a long-term perspective on the project to anticipate the changes in these factors, reflection on the rhythms of change, an adaptation of current and future practices, are essential so that an urban ensemble can emerge out of two distinct areas, sharing the river as their common denominator and united by its banks.

At the time of sustainable development coupled to an economic crisis, have you already defined a specific strategy for the urban development of the site?

the enrichment of the substance of the ongoing metamorphosis will require a formal and lasting framework of public space, adaptable to longterm changes, capable of accepting and absorbing alterations, potential programme combinations, mixed occupancy and complementary uses. being adaptable to change means planning intermediate phases of implementation, linked with particular events; it means combining particular timeframes experimentally for public space, for the construction or refurbishment of buildings. establishing stable prospects for urban quality and sociable housing areas means accepting morphological variations, temporary activities, a degree of reversibility.

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nIcolAs cèbE (fr) louIsE nAudIn (fr) architectS julIEttE lAfIllE (fr) geographer - urban planner jérôME stAblon (fr) architect - urban planner tHoMAs bErnArd (fr) graphic DeSigner

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que m’Anquetil ?

team point of view in rouen, the question of the future of the Saint-Sever site, without waiting for the station, meets that of the adaptable city. pioneering uses foster appropriation of spaces over time, their initially temporary nature not precluding the possibility of long-term development. flexibility and multiple possibilities enhance the credibility of an urban project, which is not a rigid design but a process. the existing city’s ability to evolve is acknowledged, even its apparently most fixed and inflexible features. hostile though it is, the quai anquetil road infrastructure is thus inhabited, nibbled, diverted from its previous use and, finally, adapted to new needs, forming a new viewing point over the landscape.

jury point of view the project tackles both the wider scale of the city and the scale of the study site: all the important elements of the site are addressed. the river becomes a central element again, linking all the interventions. the jury considered the project very relevant to the session’s theme of adaptability. it establishes a simple strategy which defines a flexible process for occupation of the site. by putting in place a “capable structure” as a potential ground for all possibilities, the project builds a strong urban vision that gives the place a genuine sense of identity.

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the “liveD-in” quai anquetil

frAncIsco poMArEs pAMplonA

(eS) sAIMon goMEz IdIAKEz (eS) IrEnA noWAcKA (pl) joHAnnEs pIlz (at) architectS

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perSpective: railWay proMenaDe village

“on the move”

tool 1: conceptual DiagraM - the clouD team point of view “On the move” is an assertion with two meanings. on the one hand a reference to the subject in terms of adaptability, movement and change; on the other depicting a necessary attitude to a critical world situation. the proposal suggests a participatory process through which the city’s needs are constantly updated and responded to. it consists of 3 generic tools (Cloud, Prototypologies and Rules) that are applicable to any specific condition and adaptable to time. the negative aspects of a neglected and disconnected site evolve into positive assets, such as a new multimodal hub in the old Saint Sever Station, new links and bridges or cultural activities along the embankment warehouses. the result is a network structure that is constantly adapting to moving functions, urban flows and rhythms.

jury point of view the jury felt that this project looked at the site in an unconventional and fruitful way. by proposing absolute adaptability structured around a highly flexible toolbox, the project challenges contemporary possibilities for making the city in a relevant and productive manner. the jury liked the variety of architectural typologies proposed. it also stressed that this project was one of the few to treat both banks of the Seine so comprehensively. finally, the development of prefabrication was identified as a very interesting avenue to pursue.

tool 2: catalogue of ruleS

the Station aDDreSSeS both the left anD right bank neighbourhooDS

A station for the two banks

team point of view on a site organized into three longitudinal strips (the embankments, the tracks and the buildings), the train station will be the first cross-link. With its two concourses, it addresses both the left and right banks of the city, across an island and the river. instead of covering the railway infrastructures, the future neighbourhood forms a dense development beside the tracks. this big “void” becomes a landscape for the whole neighbourhood and offers arriving travellers a spectacular panorama of the city and its landmarks: the river, the cathedral and the hills. a temporary scaffolding structure erected on the future station site will host cultural events that will be an opportunity for residents to take ownership of an isolated site and to follow its evolution.

jury point of view this project makes the future station a transverse link between the left bank districts, the Seine and the island. the jury emphasised the conceptual strength of a project that tackles the issues of the session theme. A station for the two banks is an evolving, open and totally reversible acupunctural project. however, the jury felt that the project’s architectural formalisation would have merited further development.

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the train Station iS the firSt tranSverSal link

a teMporary Structure to folloW the Mutation of the Site