Cergy-Pontoise Travel Guide

the New Town travel guides

CERGYPONTOISE

INTERNATIONAL NEW TOWN INSTITUTE

Dear readers, Congrats on expanding your horizon! Because Cergy-Pontoise may not be the first destination popping up when planning a trip around Paris. This little book intends to guide you through this fascinating area and helps you to explore the city and its neighbourhoods. We will provide you with some walking routes, do’s and don’ts but also give you a grasp of theory to understand the city. Even though Cergy-Pontoise is seen as a new town it has already an interesting historical context which will be incorporated in this travel guide. Nevertheless our main focus lies on how the new town, Cergy-Pontoise, as a whole can be experienced through its developments over time.

Enjoy your journey!

the New Town travel guides

Cergy-Pontoise

INTI - International New Town Institute

Part I: Introduction

4

French New Towns

10

Introduction to Cergy - Pontoise

Part II: Findings and Recommendations

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Historical context

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Cergy Prefecture

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Cergy Sud

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Cergy St.Christophe

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Cergy Le Haut

Part III:

Summary

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Bicycle Route

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Architectural attractions

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References

Part I:

Introduction to French new towns

This chapter will provide you with some French new town history.

What happened in France?

The country of France could be distinguished into twenty-one regions, each headed by a regional or “superperfect”. The Parise-Île-de-France area dominates France, not only because Paris is the capital and as such contains the symbols and resources of political power, but also it contains the economic and cultural power. The DATAR has been responsible for the development of a rather sophisticated regional development policy in France, still based on opposition to further demographic and economic growth of Paris. Growth is discouraged in Paris and encouraged elsewhere by a number of measures. DATAR selected therefore eight urban regions to serve as focal points for the establishment of propulsive industries: Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Nantes-ST. Nazaire, Strasbourg, and Nancy-Metz, all large urban areas.

They were chosen with the reasoning that the strong pull of Paris could be counteracted only by the other large cities. While national attention was focused on correcting the historical imbalances between Paris and the provinces, the Paris region continued to grow, from a city of one million in 1851, Paris grew to 1.8 million in 1866, 2,5 million in 1891, and 6.6 million in 1946.

Between 1866 and 1946, the Paris region increased by 4.8 million people. That year Paris share of the national population was 15 percent.

The Paris region has become more and more spatially divided into socially segregated units. The basic problem is that more people wish to located their homes and activities in the city centre than the space allows and results therefore in a division between east and west despite the fact that two-third of the jobs are in the west. Competition for space is unusually intense in central Paris. As a solution for this problem large-scale housing estates, called “grand ensembles”, were planned in the suburbs during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Where nowadays still one million live in. By French planners the grand ensembles are considered to be unsatisfactory living environments. A relativity high degree of crime and other social pathologies has been observed in them.

The planning regions of France

Grand ensambles of Paris

Le grand Arch de la Défense

The most important planning program effecting the distribution of jobs in the Paris region has been the construction of La Défense, which has like the grand ensembles, exacerbated the social problems of the Paris region. It is a large-scale office complex located in the wester suburbs and is still a relative new area. The well-know grande arch has been built in 1985 and completes the line of monument that’s forms the Axe historique running through Paris.

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In 1809-1891 G.E. Haussmann was in charge of the urban planning in the area of Paris.

He made a plan where the industrial functions of the area are being moved towards the outer line of the city called the “petite couronne”. Even before 1914 Paris had to deal with housing shortage and tried to find room within the industrial receptacle area. Under the guidance of Haussmann they solved this issue by building in the wider ring enclosing the petite couronne. This grande couronne expand until it a radius of 50 kilometres width.

Especially in the late 50’s these area where crammed with the grand ensembles up until the 70’s. There where barely good connections from the inner city and the outskirts despite the fact the people who lived in the outskirts or the Banlieue where dependent on the centre.

In this period it came in the mind of Delouvrier that the city needed more centres. He also stated that the extension of the city needed to be constructed with a certain distance from Paris itself within a green area.

Later on the country of France became involved with the topic of new towns. The first government document in support of them appeared in 1965, while large-scale construction dates form around 1970. In 1965, the Region of Paris Masterplan (Schéma Directeur d’Aménagement et d’Urbanisme de la Région Paris, SDAURP) projected a 65 per cent increase of the population of the area by 2000, bringing up to a “realistically” grow to 14 million. Given the need to expand the surface of the Paris region, the choice is between continuous development and isolated points of growth. Therefore the state decided to establish several new towns mainly on the outside of Paris. The president of French appointed Delouvrier as the first head of a new Paris regional government. A strong, dominant personality, Delouvries is considered the father of French new towns.

The villes nouvelles of Paris

Of the eight new towns proposed by the SDAURP, five are now being built. The additional two were eliminated because of strong opposition from local officials. The demographic forecast turned out to be wrong, therefore the SDAURP made a revision of the original masterplan whereby there would be 12 million inhabitants by the year of 2000. Although Paris had long ago been established as the most important city in France, the regional centres such as Lille, Lyon and Marseille shared in the national growth. Within France nine socalled “villes nouvelles” are now being built. Therefore they shortened the name of their organization to SDAU to emphasize the fact that their area of influences are national now.

Five of the new towns are located in the Paris region and are designed to organize the “inevitable” growth of that region in an efficient manner: Cergy-Pontoise, located 25 kilometers northwest of central Paris, situated nearby a turn within the river of Oise, this river has been a well-used way to organise the diverse neighborhoods within the area.

Evry, 25 kilometers south of Paris is the smallest new town due the lack of space in the area and at the same time with relative simple designs of their dwellings. Marne-la-Vallée, 10 kilometers to the east of Paris and is therefore the closed new town from the viewpoint of Paris. At the same time it covers the largest area with a stretched shape. Melun-Sénart, 35 kilometers southeast is the town with the most green and has therefore a more green town appearance; and Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, 30 kilometer southwest, the city with the most recent centre and is a good example to determine the most recent urban thoughts.

Besides the five around Paris, L’Etang de Berre, 15 kilometers northwest of Marseille; LilleEst, 5 kilometers east of Lille; L’Isle d’Abeau, 35 kilometers east of Lyon and Le Vaudreuil, 25 kilometers southeast of Rouen are nowadays being realized. The planned sizes range from 140.000 for Le Vaudreuil to 500.000 for Evry and Beree. The others are expected to be around 250.000-300.000 residents each.

Villes nouvelles in France

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Because of different tastes in urban design the French new towns contain more high-rise apartments than almost anywhere in the world. One could call the French new-towns therefore also “new-downtowns”. However, despite the differences in architectural execution the French new towns share the same functional rationale with other new towns projects around the world. The French new towns, like their counterparts elsewhere, are designed to organize large-scale urban growth in and orderly manner, with an efficient provision of required services and facilities, while at the same time achieving a socially balanced community. The sixth national plan provided the official government statement of the purposes of the French new towns policy. According to this plan the new towns are designed in order to accomplish four primary goals: I. To restructure II. To reduce III. To create truly self-contained cities IV. To serve as laboratories

The Paris region master plan of 1965.

But besides achieving those goals the most important aspect of French new town planning was perhaps its novel way of engaging the user. The new towns were of course more than consumer projects, but nevertheless began to assume some of their characteristics. Many planners and policy makers saw them as products that needed to be sold in order to be successful. When we look at Cergy-Pontoise the brochure for this new town in 1968 no longer promoted dwelling units, shopping centres or office buildings, but foremost ‘a new way of life’ which is tied to the most profound traditions of urban life: to work in proximity of one’s residence, to slide down the hills to bathe in the lake, going to the countryside or the coast on Sundays without the nightmare of traffic, to go out in the evening without needing to reverse tickets weeks in advance, to enjoy the liveliness of an urban centre without suffering from its noise, to drive or leave your car as you please, to leave the children to go to school by themselves without risk.

So besides the distinctive visual characteristics, the underlying functions of the policy to concentrate regional growth in an efficient manner and to create socially balanced communities - every new town was branded differently which matches the ideology of a new way of life.

The revised Paris region master plan of 1969

Part I:

Introduction to Cergy-Pontoise

Schematic drawing of Cergy-Pontoise site

Unlike Delouvier the residents of Cergy-Pontoise the residents where not as enthusiastic. The new town of Cergy-Pontoise was built on top of the 15 underlying neighborhoods and named after two of them eventually. 1973 was the year that the area was officially regulated by one common city council. Therefore the date of 1973 is an important milestone in the history books. The city integrated the name of Pontoise in respect of the historical background of this provincial town.

Where the name Pontoise literally means “bridge over water” which refers to the river Oise that makes a curve in this area and played a strategic role within the situation of the city. The local residents where afraid of the competition due the planned city centre in Cergy. 1967 is known as the exemplary year where riots took place before and during the construction of the Prefecture building of the Val-d’Oise department which was situated at the time in the middle of farmland surrounded by sugar beets. At that time Prefecture was a surrealist situation due the urban, brutalist ziggurat of the Prefecture positioned in an otherwise rural context. After finishing the building in 1970 it took two years before the first new residents came to the city. Nowadays the prefecture building is fully implemented within the lively city Centre of Cergy-Pontoise.

As transportation improved and the population pressure in suburbs nearer to Paris increased, a growing number of middle class Parisians began to buy big old houses in Cergy and Pontoise or building new ones on the hillsides overlooking the river. When it was decided that a new freeway from Paris to Rouen would pass through the Oise valley between Cergy and Pontoise, a population explosion seemed inevitable; the hills and farmland would be covered with subdivisions, and the old towns would be disappeared.

Aerial photo of Cergy-Pontoise site (past)

During the ongoing post-war expansion of Paris, the region of Cergy-Pontoise was allocated for one of the five new towns, mainly because of its ideal geographic location between the already built areas of regional Paris the A15, the rail connection and the empty farmlands around the villages Cergy and Pontoise.

Aerial photo of Cergy-Pontoise site (present)

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Developments over time

Pedestrian bridge leading to the prefecture

Prefecture from commercial and residential construction site

To people living in Cergy or Pontoise, the subsequent selection of the area as the site of a new town only confirmed their fears of impending doom. It was difficult for them to see how the Cergy-Pontoise project could preserve the heritage of the past and conserve the site’s remarkable physical environment while providing new homes for 300,000 or 400,000 people. But the project’s officials, among who were long-time residents of the Cergy-Pontoise area, insisted that the little streets and houses of Cergy, the old central square of Pontoise, the monastery and other places were to be left untouched, except when home or building owners wanted help for remodeling. The bend in the Oise was to become a huge recreation basin surrounded by protected woodland so that the view from the hills above it would not change, while a short-cut canal would enable barge traffic to continue to use the river as before. Not just existing forests there but also some of the land used for agriculture was to be protected from development; farmland was being bought by the Cergy-Pontoise corporation and leased back to farmers under legal contracts prohibiting its use for non-agricultural purposes.

For the new town of Cergy-Pontoise, a “schema des structures” or structural diagram was drawn up between 1966 and 1968. This included not only the actual areas marked for new development, but encompassed the entire surrounding region: the existing village of Pontoise, and the existing forests and lakes that were being envisioned as recreational zones.

This was a plan of relations and connections. It was first and foremost an urban network rather than a set of functional zones. The new development planned for Cergy-Pontoise also was to be pragmatic. Certain planning principles were being strictly-followed which made the higher density areas of the project somewhat more urban than Saint-Quentin-enYvelines, while more of the rural nature of the site around them was preserved.

The newly developed areas of Cergy-Pontoise were to be highly concentrated to permit pedestrian access to as much as possible and the integration of almost all public facilities with housing. Separate pedestrian and car circulation systems were maintained throughout the project. Besides, public bus system connected the old town square and railroad station in Pontoise with the prefecture and new housing and shopping areas in the new centre of the new town. The project’s first commercial and high density residential centre were built

Structural plan for Cergy-Pontoise in 1970

around the prefecture building, and residents was able to go from one to the other in a variety of ways.

Planners for Cergy-Pontoise first considered to the construction of infrastructure and key public amenities, and only then to housing programs.

In this sense, the prefecture, the departmental administration building, was built as one of the first buildings. In order to provide public facilities for the first inhabitants that would soon arrive, the building contained a public atrium, a cinema, a restaurant, a bar, and art gallery, and about fifteen shops, including a hair dresser, a shoe maker, a travel agent, clothing shops. Realizing the nuisance of surrounding construction sites that bothered the first inhabitants, planners also aimed to build a new town “without construction sites”.

Concluded from this it can be stated that the realisation of Cergy-Pontoise has struggled with its existing context but has integrated quite well in the end.

‘A city without construction sites’ promised by a 1969 promotional brochure for Cergy-Pontoise

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Getting to and around Cergy-Pontoise

Bicycle Network

Existing

Proposed

Tertiary

Cergy Préfecture

Pontoise

Secondary

Cergy le Haut

Highway

Cergy Saint Christophe

Road Network

Cergy-Pontoise is served by Road and Rail links connecting it back to Central Paris. The A15 is the major highway to the North of Cergy-Pontoise. From this traffic is distributed onto the Boulevard de l’Oise; an arterial route through the city, linking all major centres and Vauréal.

The secondary road network has to adjust to existing features around Préfecture, but forms the main organising framework around Saint-Christophe, and the centre of Vauréal, and can be identified with the signature new-town roundabout configuration.

Réseau bus

RER network, Tra Station, stop

The Bicycle network overlaps with secondary and tertiary routes, with planned expansion to overlap with pedestrian network and separate bicycle and vehicular traffic.

The city is served by Four train stations in the area, connected by an extensive bus infrastructure.

Public Transport

Réseau bus

RER network, Transilien

Station

Part II:

Findings and Recommendations Chapter I:

Historical Context The Story of Cergy-Pontoise.

In this chapter we will take you to several areas within Cergy-Pontoise which all are characterized by there lay-out, architecture, and program. We want to show you their identity through explaining their urban design while placing it in time and reflecting on the ideas behind it to hopefully give you a complete image on why things are the way they are.

Starting with a brief elaboration on the historical context followed by a walk trough Cergy Prefecture; Cergy Sud; Cergy St. Christophe; and finally trough Cergy Le Haut.

Cergy-Pontoise also had other great conditions such as the beautiful and commercially exploitable Oise River northwest of Paris and the attractive atmosphere of the two old towns from which the new city takes its name, Cergy and Pontoise. The site with a big loop of the Oise River was similar with that of Paris itself and the view is particularly impressive. Pontoise was built long ago on flatter land east of the river for the defense of Paris against Normandy, and was steadily prosperous with the location as it is on highway and rail routes northwest from Paris. In addition, barges on the Oise River carried materials to and from factories situated between railroad tracks and river. Cergy was a much smaller town on a hillside on the river bend to the west. In both towns, there were picturesque streets and beautiful old buildings; attractive farms and the remains of a medieval monastery are nearby.

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RER Cergy-Saint-Christophe

Menhir

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walking route CergyPrefecture

Cergy Port

1. Hôtel Levasseur de Verville (Hôtel de la Coutellerie) 2. Menhir de Gency 3. Site archéologique de l’Allée Couverte 4. Église SaintChristophe

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The villages of the Oise loop (Cergy, Pontoise and Saint-Ouen) developed along one road running parallel to the river, today called the Rue National and Rue Vauréal. The villages were strategically placed on the slope of the hill to be close to the river and fertile floodplains, but above the flood-level of the river Oise (1).

slope due to the close proximity of limestone quarries, with the hill also offering flood protection (2).

The Sunny slopes on top are ideal for vineyards, which was the main activity of the area until the 19th century (3).

The train line from Pontoise to Poissy then influenced Cergy to grow along the route to the train station.

The placement of the settlements mid-way up the hills surrounding the Oise was part of the system used to manage the landscape. The lower fluvial areas provided pastures for livestock, wheat, rye and vegetables (1). Villages emerged half-way up the

Bus Route Bus Stop Walking Route

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Few new towns can offer as much heritage as Cergy-Pontoise. Cergy is a Feudal town which is now entwined into the new town of Cergy-Pontoise. Accumulated in layers its history begins in 1120 with Louis VI and the Pope bestowing the title of monastery upon the Romanesque church of Cergy. A priory is built consisting of an enlarged church and barns with accommodation for monks. Boundary wall, gateway and towers remain to this day.

For centuries the church was the centre of the settlement, a key point where inhabitants met to worship and interact. Over time the church was extended, modified and reconstructed following its destruction during the 100 years war.

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Banlieue Pavillionaire Before the middle-class migration to the outskirts of Paris this area was the preserve of a Bourgeoise middle-class, who built summer villas to escape Paris in the summer months. Many Impressionist artists resided in the area, seeking inspiration from the surrounding landscape.

In the 13th century Gothic re-configuration sought before Romanesque church is completed, adding a choir loft to the end of the intended naïve. Building returns to square plan 3x3 bays.

In 1560 a renaissance designed by Nicolas Mercier of Pontoise, this was never completed due to the Reglious Wars, only the southern aisle, entrance portal and tower.

The town is a typical strip village, built up over time with individual homes and buildings clustered along the road which linked the Villages of the Loop de l’Oise, nevertheless its quaint, rustic charm is a quality not seen so close to the centre of a new town anywhere else in the world. In itself the town of Cergy is a palimpsest, an accumulation of layers of significance and meaning, a strong identity which the new-town hoped to graft onto, providing an anchor in both place and time.

the story of

Cergy

Banlieue Pavillionaire

Hôtel de ville An idyllically French public building which was once both the town hall and town school, an emblem of the close-knit community feel of this village.

Hotel de ville

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There used to be a mill at a small island in the river at this point in Cergy-Pontoise, but in the beginning of the 1960’s the area is transformed into a harbour. This harbour was a necessary utility to transport the material for the new build Highway 15, which connects the city of Cergy-Pontoise with Paris and other major cities.

This harbour remained until it was replaced by the pleasure marina in 1989 under supervision of father and son François et Bernard Spoerry as part of the planning and construction of the only river based neighbourhood in the new town. In addition to this marina there was a modest sized 80’s post-modernist styled residential and shopping development. Therefore they changed the layout of the area completely.

The artificial harbour was created by extending an river arm towards the island. At the end of this arm an obelisk was placed which forms the endpoint of the axis along the Boulevard du Port cuts its way all towards the Cergy-Prefecture. It can be seen as a wink to its much larger brother, the Axe Majeur. It is a small joke or reference of the post-modernist movement of which this area consist several examples; A modern gate towards the old town of Cergy whereas a town that small doesn’t require a gate at all. This exaggeration of gates is even enlarged as a 20 meter high entrance towards a car park.

cergy-port

Construction of the harbor

Today the neighbourhood is one of the few places to find proper restaurants, though the target group of tourists, boat owners and wealthy inhabitants of Cergy-Pontoise can make it a rather expensive evening off. It accommodates residential buildings as well as leisure activities like restaurant with a global cuisine (Moroccan, Japanese, Mexican, classic France) and modest night-life facilities (English pub, disco). Due to the variety of luxury a marina has to offer, the picturesque town-like architecture and the placement next to Base de plein air et de loisirs de Cergy-Pontoise and the ancient town of Cergy, the place is booming. Every night, every restaurant and pub is stuffed with people.

Whereas it is developed as an example of the consumer state, by offering a marina, a potential to own a boat nearby, the marina is now heading towards a market state based ideology. Personally thinking the restaurants aren’t top-notch for the prices they ask, a profit is kept in mind. It could grow into an absurd expensive piece of new-town that’s exclusively for the wealthy in the city. This is a threat towards the idea of housing sections of society and opposes the classic and fundamental new-town thoughts. The port is an exception within the city, but shouldn’t, in the future, enlarge this notion.

working together at the level of the agglomeration.

Since the socialist mayors are judged on the results in their own commune, it is important to preserve all these facilities. To fund this, local authorities rely on the French tax system. Instead of the federal Dutch system, taxes paid by the many companies in the ville nouvelle and the living and property-taxes are collected and spent locally.

Restructuring and urban renewal

[1] Cergy Prefecture highway network

Despite the ambitions of facilities and efforts to promote the use of public transport and bicycles, a resident states: “In my commune there are only three cafes. You can not really do without a car here and the car forces its own rules in the town: the main street has become a kind of ‘car pipe’, making it unpleasant for pedestrians.” For this reason, at the moment the municipality is investing in restructuring the infrastructure of the town.[4]

Chapter II:

Cergy-Prefecture

According to the latest masterplan, the Schema de Coherence Territoriale (SCoT),[5] adopted by in 2011, the public facilities are aging. Although, in comparison with the grand ensembles, social problems are not so significant around Prefecture some HLM housing complexes are restructured. The agglomeration is facing similar problems as Dutch New Towns, such as aging and shrinking. Therefore the expansion possibilities are limited and yearly 1300 new homes are built by mainly intensification and restructuring projects, as showed in above figure.

The ambition of the Prefecture was to create a lively multi-functional centre with its own identity and cultural meaning. In the Prefecture complex, a combination of shopping, residential, business and cafes spread over a continuous platform of streets and squares with diverse typologies of buildings.

The Prefecture conceived to be one of the centres, was integrated with a bus and train station on the ground floor. Above this large transit hub was the Grand ‘Place, a square characterized by its trees and surrounded by offices and dwellings.

In the 1970’s Cergy-Prefecture, we encounter the modernistic dalle, a car-free pedestrian zone with infrastructure below. The initial infrastructure of all Paris New Towns was based on the same dissociation of movement. Firstly, there is an open network of highways, boulevards and avenues linking each part with the whole [1]. Secondly, there is a closed network of driveways and car parks ending in a loop and finally, a network exclusively for pedestrians and cyclists is superimposed on the first. There is a strong hierarchy; the highways lead to the boulevards serving avenues, which are connected to car parks [2]. Initially, the New Town Development Corporation (EPA), chose for a town plan with overpasses, separating car from pedestrian traffic, having services in the lower part and the ‘noble floor’ on the upper part. But according to Bertrand Warnier, former head of the townplanning department EPA, “In the end the overpass will simply be like an artificial hill” and believed that this wouldn’t make a town.[3] The high level of facilities, with every commune enjoying their own library, cultural centre, theaters, cinemas, swimming pools and even an indoor ice rink is the remarkable aspect of this planning. This can be attributed to the political system of the New Town, where every commune has its own mayor,

[4] Plans for urban renewal Cergy Prefecture

1. Grand Place square

2. New pedestrian access square

3. Opening station on the square with

glass facade

4. Lively square with bike rental station,

shops and services

5. Bus station covered by a lightweight

structure

6. Drop-off parking

[2] Cergy Prefecture pedestrian network

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Cergy-Prefecture 1

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[6] Walking tour Cergy-Prefecture

walking route 1. Gare de Cergy-Prefecture Start of the tour is Gare de Cergy-Prefecture, a RER railway station connecting the New Town with Paris. The train and bus station is situated on the lowest level, with on top the Grand’Place or Columbia Square with shops and apartments. The square is named after a sister-city program in 1984, where youth of Columbia was sent abroad in exchange for the youth of Cergy-Pontoise Columbia returned the gesture by naming of a “Cergy-Pontoise Place”.

The lesson learned from the monofunctional modernistic grand ensambles reflects also on an architectural scale. In this case the ambition of creating a lively centre means not only a variety of functions and services but also a diversity in building typologies and styles.

Monoliths, towers, courtyards, loggias, covered squares, elevated pathways and terraces on one hand; modernism, brutalism, structuralism, (critical) regionalism and postmodernism on the other, offer a showcase of the second half of 20th century architectural history. To make such a variety possible the EPA Cergy-Pontoise defines smaller cells/islands, each of them developed by different developers under the supervision of an urbanist. As a result a range of different approaches can be traced also in the work of the same architect at different points of the Préfecture plateau. Architects like Claude Vasconi and Georges Pancréac’h have designed several projects in Cergy-Pontoise with more of an experimenting attitude then as followers a certain stylistic principle.

The square, and especially the Bar Le Columbia [1] at the corner, was the setting for Eric Rohmer’s film L’ami de mon amie dating from 1987. The following review describes how Rohmer used the decor of Cergy-Pontoise in his film: “It might be one of the first films which actually discussed the phenomenon of postmodernism: how the change in the society, the invasion of individuality and difference, resulted in the disappearance of the limit between highbrow and lowbrow; but also the new lack of depth and historical sense.” [2]

Going towards the county hall, we pass two of the architectural icons of Cergy-Préfecture: the colourful Hotel d’Agglomeration and the EDF-GDF tower. [2]

2. The county hall and the Parc Francois Mitterand [1] Columbia Square

The building of the county hall was built in three years between 1967-1970 on former sugar beet fields of the Oise valley. As the first building of the new town, a strong identity was necessary to set the space for further developments.

As mentioned, the county hall had to be a building with a recognizable and unique formal language.

Architect Henry Bernard did achieve this goal with the modernistic, almost brutalist building, following the tradition of the Boston city hall ( architects: Kallmann, McKinnell, & Knowles) and Le Corbusier’s unrealised Governor’s Palace from Chandigarh.

Based on the principles of an ingenuous shading system - the upper floor always standing out with an extra two meters compared to the level under it - the memorable form of an upside down pyramid was created. This functional approach also resulted in balconies on the inner side of the working spaces and a great natural lighting system for the whole building. The dialectic between the heavy concrete building elements and the glazed strips result in the

[1] Bar Columbia in L’ ami de mon amie

[2] View of the county hall and EDF-GDF tower (1970’s)

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impression of the building as a floating object. The robust building has also a subtile layer of artistic details, designed and realised by sculptor Francois Stahly.

[2] Drawings of the building structure and lighting principle

[2] Details of the work of Fransois Stahly

[2] Parc Francois Mitterand

The Parc François Mitterand, named after the first socialistic and longest serving President of France.

He was a strong promoter of culture and arts and implemented a range of costly Grand Projets, including the Louvre Pyramid, Musee d’Orsay, Parc de la Villette, Opéra Bastille, Grande Arche de La Défense, and the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

Also the Axe-Majeur at the base-de-loisir and this park are from this period. The Grandes Operations d’Architecture et d’Urbanisme was an architectural program to provide modern monuments in Paris, symbolizing Frances role in art, politics and economy at the end of the twentieth century. The scale of the project and its ambitious nature was compared to the major building schemes of Louis XIV. 11 The park behind the county hall building was designed by the renowned landscape architect Alain Provost in 1974 and gone under a rehabilitation in 2013, which opened it up to its surroundings. New axes of composition and new management methods reorganise usage. The riverbanks are planted with wetland vegetation and lagoon zones are created to allow phytoremediation of the park’s water.

The Les Linandes housing estate next to the Park is a good example of the work of architects who have learned a lesson from the former French colony of Algeria, the clever clusters of slum housing: cellular construction, individual vaulted roofs, echoing local vernacular architectural forms.

An other nice example of the same type can be found at the north of the Préfecture region designed by the Algerian-born Architect Roland Simounet.

The colourful clusters are a typical example of the goals Cergy-Pontoise seized to communicate.

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Vasconi and Georges Pancréac’h, who have been actively involved in several projects in the region.

The building which accommodates two libraries, a theatre, a music school and several other institutions is an important cultural hotspot of the city. The colourful tiles of the building have a decidedly symbolic character: the green alluding to nature and the blue to water (Oise) and strongly contrasting the overall concrete character of the Préfecture plateau at that time.

[3] Hotel d`Agglomeration

4. Place de la Fontaine The attempt to achieve a multifunctional centre meant that there were also 1500 residential units planned for the dalle next to the various public functions. As living in the centre can have its advantages, it can be loud and un-homely. This square is a great example of a design conceived in the spirit of critical regionalism, making deliberately use of typologies, materials and a scale that has been proven working throughout history and can guarantee the unpleasant aspects of urban living. The typology of a courtyard, combined with that of an urban square, with the residential area deliberately divided from the commercial ground floor with a loggia protecting shoppers from the vicissitudes of weather on one side and inhabitants from intruding gazes.

[4] Place de la Fontaine

5. The mountains of Philippe Viarmesson Just a few steps further one arrives to a similar courtyard, where ground floor and residential levels are again carefully separated, although the difference in the approach is evident. This project has functionalism as its inducement, creating spatial and sunny terraces, for the residents, which not only mean qualitative outdoor space for the apartments, but also a simple way of maintain privacy. The structural use of prefabricated concrete elements communicates also a rigorous functionalism.

[5] The mountains of Viarmesson

6. Theater 95 3. Hotel d`Agglomeration

[2] The colorful Les Linandes housing at the time of its completion

In line with the county hall the EDF-GDF tower the shopping mall Trois-Fontaines was built. After anchoring the plateau of the Préfecture with these buildings, the rest was filled up in the upcoming 10 years. Among these buildings the Hotel d’Agglomeration is one of the major projects, realised in 1978, designed by the architects Claude

In 2012 the Theatre 95 was completed, an extension project to the former architecture and art school of Cergy that was later turned into a theatre.

The building aims to be a lantern in the literal and figurative sense of the word. It’s a complex project, which delicately links to the sophisticated, layered infrastructure system of the centre of Cergy

[6] Theater 95/gpaa

Good to know Cergy-Sud was realized first in 1974 and focused on housing citizens to create a critical mass for the overall Cergy-Pontoise developments. Its a typical early residential area in which all neighborhoods were planned around schools; providing dwellings for 5.000 people per neighborhood; offered lots of public greenery; and were completely pedestrian orientated.

While walking around in these neighbourhoods you may notice the poor quality of certain building blocks and the randomness of their placement and composition. This comes from the fact that it was built quiet fast to politically speed up all ‘villes nouvelles’ developments but also to be sure that visions were actually realized.

A walk through Cergy-Sud will offer you a break away from the lively prefecture to enjoy the explicit school architecture; the winding walking paths; and the quiet and relaxing public space.

Chapter III:

Cergy-Sud

MUST SEE! As this chapter will provide you with a possible walking route through several neighborhoods in Cergy-Sud we advise you to take a little detour and visit Parc des Lariss near the L’Oise.

This park is a great example of an communal ecological garden in which public participation was used from design til maintenance as result of active green planning.

ROUTE MAP

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Architecture & Urba

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2 3

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Legend walking route 1.

Introduction 2.

Ecole les Plants a PIED! This walking route takes you through several neighborhoods and lets you discover their 3.

Public space architectural experiments and locally maintained public space along the way.

Cergy-Sud was designed in a manner a child could walk from his/ her home to school 4.

Infrastructure &where Neighborhoods without encountering any vehicular traffic. So, the school became an important symbol of 5.

Ecole les the neighborhood, givingMaradas it its identity. Therefore every neighborhood is named like their school. Further, to showcase this special identity, you may notice how each school has a unique architectural style and aesthetic with a focus on route and program.

The neighborhoods are treated like islands surrounded by vehicular roads. As the area is pedestrian friendly roads are crossed by bridges which also means you are entering a different neighborhood (point 1 + 4 + 9).

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6. Maison de quartier des Touleuses 7. EcoleEverydes Touleuses neighborhood is interspersed with green spaces which are locally maintained. You can feel a sense of ownership towards these public spaces when you come across the small 8. College des Touleuses vegetable gardens and landscapes entrance porches 9. Institut Polytechnic Saint Louis/ University de Cergy-Po 10. Parc de la Perfecture

Architecture & Urba

ROUTE MAP

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The first neighborhood that you will visit on crossing your first bridge over Boulevard de l’Haulit is the neighborhood of Les Plants. This area is full of communal gardens within flat roofed plastered building blocks and single family dwellings. As you enter the neighborhood, within a distance of 100 metres you will notice a strange structure hovering above a pedestrian passageway, which is the Ecole les Plants.

Ecole les Plants was designed by Jean Renaudie and his wife in 1970. Designed in the cubist style, this organic honeycomb structure is made up of hexagonal modules which are organised spatially according to the function. Built with wood and steel, each module comprises of a classroom and these modules vary in height by a maximum of 70cm to create a sense of privacy. The design also creates large free flowing spaces inside and opens out to outdoor play areas for children.

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The Maradas neighborhood has a distinctive street pattern; which defines the structure of the housing blocks. The curved walking route leads you to a few cul-de-sacs were most of the dwellings can be found. These building blocks are inwards orientated on the courtyards where most of the social activities take place.

Also this neighborhood is planned around a school.

The location of the school is strategically in the centre surrounded by high rise apartment blocks.

The school in this neighborhood is called Ecoles les Maradas designed by Georges Pencreah who received a silver bracket award for the design.

Pencreah was actively involved in the urban studies of Cergy-Pontoise. This school is also based on a modular design, but here the modules consisted of south-facing wedges organized around a centre. The modules were placed at different levels for different age groups of students. The building was punctured with skylights and terraces facing the playground.

One will agree that the school definitely catches the eye of the by-passer as it stands out in the mundanely designed housing blocks. But the noise of the school doesn’t go unnoticed on the street below also. This is due to the poor use of material in the building. Though the school underwent a renovation to improve the quality of construction, the building still looks poor and rickety but makes up for that in his unique composition.

les plants

les maradas

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As you walk from the school in Maradas towards the neighborhood of Touleuses, you will approach a 15 storey residential building. This building operates like a space marker for the three neighborhoods to indicate the presence of a local centre called the Place de Touleuses. This centre contains a supermarket, restaurants, health centre and a cultural centre which open out into the square. You can look for fun filled activities organised by the cultural centre of the neighborhood.

This neighborhood also houses the Ecole Les Touleuses (kindergarten school) and the college des Touleuses (secondary school). The school functions at the scale of the neighborhood and the college with the attached sporting facilities serves all the three neighborhoods. The school and college have a similar aesthetic manifested in its materialization. On crossing another bridge, one can see large buildings which consist of public institutions like the ESSEC, University of Cergy and Institute Polytechnic Saint Louis. These institutions are lined along the main boulevard de l’Haulit and functions at the scale of the city.

les touleuses

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On the east side of St. Christophe centre a large residential area can be found that beautifully shows the socio-cultural context in which it was constructed throughout the 1970’s. Because of the general dissatisfaction with the previous grand ensembles the state came up with an ambitious state agency, named the Plan Construction in 1971. This plan was supposed to improve the quality in housing and neighborhoods through sponsoring scientific research, innovative models and experimental projects in the realm of mass-housing (Cupers, 2010, p. 289). The homogeneity and the modernist approach of the utopian grand ensembles were held responsible for the social segregation that was evolving and thus the new housing was supposed to be diverse and varied, in form and in type.

This revised position of 1980’s urbanism is recognized by the virtues of a traditional town and the search for landmarks from known models. Another addition was the re-introduction of the car in the street image, breaking with the previous “zoning” model where traffic and functions were separated. Cergy- St.-Christophe and other new towns thus became the perfect experimental grounds for these new developments.

What is fascinating about the Plan Construction is its bold ambition. Apart from counteracting social segregation, the new housing developments were supposed to boost the French economy, the production industry and improve the well-being of its inhabitants. All this was intended with the focus on formal complexity, varied types, and flexible housing through industrial production. Another interesting note is that for achieving this varied architecture, the use of industrial construction types was promoted, something that is nowadays often associated with homogenous architecture.

Different small plots with both public and private housing (with each plot accounting an average of 600 units) were planned to be physically autonomous in a way to recreate collective democracy. These smaller units were planned so the residents can build their community. Contradictory to the impersonal grands ensembles and based on the idea of the “Locale collectif résidentiel”, each plot has a place where people can meet and socialize.

These blocks are usually oriented around an elementary school and within walking distance to the shops and amenities. Locations of these schools are strategically positioned for the catchment of multiple neighborhoods, resulting in a patchwork of small urban ensembles around the centres.

Chapter IV:

Cergy-St. Christophe

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The neighbourhood Axe Majeur-Horloge (formerly Cergy St Christophe) is chronologically the second quarter of Cergy-Pontoise, after the one of Grand Centre (formerly Cergy Prefecture).Thanks to its location, it has a special place in the new Town of Cergy: situated on a plateau overlooking the loop of l’Oise, it offers an out standing panorama on the West of Paris. Because of this central and dominant position, this area was meant to be, according to preliminary plans, the main centre of the entire city.

Despite the central and dominant position of the Axe Majeur-Horloge neighbourhood, it did not become the main centre of the city. In fact, the Grand Centre, built earlier and better equipped, gradually took the role of the “true” centre of the city. Axe Majeur-Horloge then became a mainly residential area surrounded by business zones.

Because of the average age of its buildings, its urban planning and architecture characteristics, it is possible to define the neighbourhood of Axe Majeur-Horloge as an urban agglomeration of the 1980’s. Furthermore, it is relevant to mention that its principles of organisation strongly differs from the ones of Grand Centre; in fact here the planners learned from their previous (positive and negative) experiences of the first part of the new town and decided to make some changes. This changes also reflects and testify the general evolution of the general urban design principles during the 1970’s and 1980’s.

The city of the 1970’s was characterized by the trial of new innovative concepts of urbanism.

These concepts were supposed to generate new practices for the planning and organisation of the territory and they should have been able to improve the quality of both the city and the wellness of the society. Despite the high aspiration of this plan, basically consisting in ‘changing the city in order to change the life’ of its inhabitants, revealed to be rather utopian.

In fact it is true that in the late 1970’s, both modern architecture and rational planning were put into discussion and strongly criticized.

Thus the urbanism of the 1980’s was driven by a fallback position acknowledging the virtues of the traditional town; urbanists and planners felt the necessity to look back and to refer to models of urban planning that were already known.

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Urban planning principles Learning from the experience of the Grand Centre, the urban planning of the neighbourhood of Axe Majeur-Horloge attempts to create a more “readable” urban fabric introducing at the same time more diversity, and a mixture of function within the same area.

Legibility In reaction to the excesses of modern urbanism in which public space is the void space left over between the buildings, the designers of this neighbourhood decided to give particular importance to the composition of the “empty” spaces. Doing so the planners referred to the tradition of classical French urbanism according to which the first phase of the design of the city is the definition of the “empty spaces” (squares, streets, pathways etc.). Afterwards, around these spaces, the designers of the neighbourhood organized the urban frame composed by the buildings.

The centre of the district is structured according to a grid of orthogonal void spaces. The spaces along both sides of the central axis, formed by the rue de l’Abondance, have a symmetrical and perfectly geometric organisation.

Thus the centre is shaped following the typical orthogonal plan of several ancient cities such as the medieval fortified towns of the South of France. Its organization is modelled on the model of the Roman cities, where the Cardo, (the North-South axis of rue de l’Abundance) crosses the decumanus namely the East-West axis (where we find the Allée des Petit Pains).

The intersection of the two axes in the centre of the city corresponds with the location of the forum that is the Market Square or Place du Marché.

Furthermore, continuing with the analysis of the urban fabric and looking at the composition and design of the residential areas, it is possible to observe a remarkable attention for the composition of the space. Little squares and ‘geometric’ shaped public spaces, as the long ‘corridor’ defined by rue de l’Abondance, compose the structure of the neighbourhood offering several and different points of view for the visitor.

The buildings compose small areas closed on themselves referring to the image of the ville traditionnelle (the traditional town). The buildings thus have one façade facing the public street and another one on the back overlooking a courtyard or garden.

le quartier axe majeurhorloge

Diversity While in the Grand Centre the architecture of the residential buildings is relatively simple and homogeneous, the Axe Majeur-Horloge area is determined by its extensive architectural diversity. The forms are multiple and the architectural volumes are rather complex.

Abandoning the functionalist thought that the shape and appearance of a building must be the result of its function, the architecture becomes alternately playful, symbolic, monumental or merely decorative.

Identity The public spaces and architecture of the Axe Majeur-Horloge neighbourhood are marked by the desire to introduce specific benchmarks to mark the identity of the city, or in order to recall the function of the different places. Thus, the station is ‘crowned’ by a clock becoming ironically the house for a belfry. Similarly, the Axe Majeur, as monumental construction and thanks to its meaning, essence and its location, becomes, one of the emblematic places of the New Town.

Mixed uses Interrupting with the urbanism of the “zoning” (separation of different functions and circulations) applied in the Grand Centre, the Axe Majeur-Horloge district revives the principle of diversity of the traditional city: - The mix of functions: within the centre of the district the shops (on the ground floor), the dwellings (on the other floors) and the public facilities closely intertwined in the urban fabric.

- Back to mixed traffic: urban planners conjoin the car and pedestrian traffic, resulting in the appearance of parking strips, pedestrian crossings and traffic lights.

- Mix of the housing typologies: collective and individual dwellings are intertwined.

Grand Centre- Schematic Diagram of separation of car-pedestrian routes

Saint Christophe- Schematic Diagram back to mixed traffic

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Broader architectural context Cergy-Saint-Christophe is mainly built in the late 1970’s and 1980’s. This period of time in architecture is characterized by urban buildings and closed islands in line with the road. Led by urban planner Marcel Bajard, the urban character of the area was indented to be monumental, composed of long facades along the streets. The search for signs of identity is seen in elements such as columns, mouldings or balustrades.

Ordinary architecture for individual houses isolated on small plots – expression (true or false) of “wellbeing”. Urban buildings in the style of large villas.

Cergy Saint Christophe The first inhabitants of Cergy- Saint-Christophe arrived in 1980. In the subsequent years, the district of St.-Christophe became the home of people migrating from former Sub-Saharan French colonies.

The new pioneers gave the district a multi-cultural social structure, which becomes more diverse by the year. The shop-owners, people on the street and children in schools are from all over the world: France, French Antilles, Algeria, Mauritania, Congo, Vietnam, Poland, Haiti, Portugal, Lebanon, Iran, Angola, Benin, Comores Islands, Mali, Senegal, Sri Lanka, England, Zaire, Madagascar and Mauritius.

Alongside Cergy- Préfecture, Saint-Christophe is the second largest sub-centre of the New Town (L’agglomeration de) Cergy- Pontoise. SaintChristophe is built on a plateau, which gives a panoramic view on the west of Paris. This visual connection was also a reason why St.-Christophe was initially planned to be the centre of the New Town. Eventually, Cergy-Préfecture, with its regionaladministration, public functions and commercial centre, provided a better service as the main centre.

The area consists of 5000 houses, which are in general a little bit more expensive than in CergyPréfecture. The Southern sections are mostly used for housing, while industry and offices are situated North of the main traffic axe of Le Boulevard de la Paix.

Cergy-Saint-Christophe was meant to have a very urban character. To realize this, architects and planners adopted some traditional urban characteristics i.e. planning diverse functions on public squares and keeping in mind the human scale in relation with the built environment.

Modernism to Post-Modernsim Not only the urban design, but also the architecture in this area shows that architects have learned lessons from what was done in the past. Where in Prefécture a simple, modern and sober architecture can be found, Saint- Christophe is dominated by postmodernist architecture. With its complex and diverse forms relating to the functions, buildings and objects in this area refer to the past, to regional or even international architecture such as references to the Middle Eastern architecture. Another important reference is the connection between the New Town and Paris.

New building techniques Apart from the shift from modernism to post modernism ideals, new building techniques made their appearance. These technical improvements made it possible to create more sophisticated architecture. Architects began to use new materials and were able to design new decorative elements, which could be built in an efficient way.

Another important factor that influenced the built environment was the oil crisis in the 1970’s, which forced developers into investing in less large projects.

The influence of this economic recession can be seen in the size and diversity: smaller or individual housing projects and more subdivisions.

Due to these new planning ideals, buildings techniques, use new architectural styles and developing scale, Saint-Christophe became a place for innovational and experimental architecture. A big stimulation for this innovative type of architecture was the international design competition ‘Immeubles de Ville’ which was organized in order to improve the urban design.

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An important part of the rehabilitation of the Bastide was the development of the Marché Couvert (by Grumbach, 1999) at the corner of the market square.

This covered market was realised in 1999 and is therefore part of another architectural movement, as is seen in Cergy-Le Haut. This visible contrast has become typical for this part of the city. The covered market has a more classical appearance. Its square shape and the used materials such as iron, brick and glass are a reference to classical halls of Parisian markets. The supporting structure is entirely made of metal. The roof is raised at the northeast corner, which creates a slope towards the west-, southwestand east corner. By doing this, the architect tried to open up the building towards the square in order to strengthen the physical relationship between the building and square. Also the stairs express the particular relation that the covered market has with the Place Marché.

L’lot de La Bastide, by architects G.G.K., Celeste, Schoulier and Franck, (1985), is a great example of a postmodernist reference to historical architecture. Combining the orthogonal grid of traditional houses of Southern France, the use of bricked façades from the Northern provinces, and the simplicity of forms create a well-accomplished harmony between de the buildings.

The former town hall by Franck (1985) is situated with its full length on the narrow ‘Reu de l’Abondance’ shopping street. The building had to be remarkable but there was not much space left for a market entrance. This is why the architect decided to give the façade a strong accent with roundings that extends from the wall. The huge barometer combined with rainbow-coloured bricks makes the façade even more accentuated.

La Bastide was the subject of an important urban restructuring which involved the market, car parks and housing. This restructuring was designed and developed by Antoine Grumbach, an Algeria born architect and a professor at the National School of Architecture of ParisBelleville.

La Bastide

The rehabilitation project by Antoine Grumbach consists of Five actions based on three different levels: that of the city, the neighbourhood, and the domestic architecture: 1. Development of Rue des Deux Marché and public spaces 2. Construction of a hall for the market and the restructuring of public parking which was first situated at the places of the new market.

3. Individualisation of plots and restructuring of housing and access to parking 4. Restructuring the plot of the town hall 5. Restructuring the plot of Maison de Quartier

Before rehabilitation project: The market square is surrounded with brick buildings

After rehabilitation project: The market square is opened up and parking lots make room for Marché Couvert

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The Belvedere building complex is situated on the ‘Place des Colonnes Hubert-Renaud’. Without doubt, the most iconic element is the tour belvedere; an enormous obelisk with a flat top instead of a pointed one. The public space and master plans are designed by Dani Karavan, who is also responsible for the Axe Majeur.

Similar to its reference and ancestor the Versailles, the Belvedere building complex contains social housing.

In his works, Bofill searched for a balance between aesthetics the social housing function. Criticizing the massive French HLM (Habitat à Loyer Modéré) social housing units as “engineered architecture without identity”, he controversially tried to design monuments for the socially and economically less fortunate. The buildings are completed in 1986 and have a total floor area of 31.000 m².

belvedere

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Ricardo Bofill is a Spanish architect and leader of the ‘Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura’. Bofill not only designed several project in Cergy-Pontoise but also in other French New Towns around Paris from the same period. When Bofill began to work in France because of the bad economic situation in Spain, he was inspired by the classical French architecture. He used these references in his own architecture as symbolic elements within his post modern designs.

Bofill began to focus on social housing from the late 70’s. La Belvedere is the part of years of research and innovation in the social housing sector. The housing units within the building have a functional layout with a double orientation to optimise sun exposure, cross-ventilation and view variations. The building contains out of 380 apartments. On the ground floor shops are situated.

It is interesting to look for the post modern adjustments made to the classical French Versaillestyle architecture, e.g. the windows on the ground floor are extended almost on to the ground, instead of ending with a thick base. The Axe Majeur cuts right through the building volume. The cutting planes are completely flat and blind without any classical finishing.

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The Axe majeur by Dani Karavan is 3 km long and is designed to recall the Circus and Royal Crescent in Bath (England, Ricardo Bofill). Dating from 1980 the Axe Majeur consists of a sequence of interesting attractions: La Tour Belvedere: With its 1,5 degree angle the obelisk points towards Paris. The laser on top symbolizes the future and points out the route on the axis.

La Place des Collonnes - Hubert Renaud: Nicknamed “little Versailles” Bofils design is a tribute to “le RoiSoleil” Louis XIV. The round square represents the world and the months of the year (360 degrees = 12 x 30); Le Verger des Impressionistes-Camille Pissarro: This orchard dates back from before the construction of the New Town and represents the agricultural history of Cergy. The name refers to the 19th century impressionist painters who were inspired by the sunny slopes and magnificent landscape of la vallée de l’Oise.

L’Esplanade de Paris: Inspired by the Negev desert, the sandy square reflects Karavans Israeli roots, while occasionally also providing an excellent jeu de boules pitch. The white pavers placed on both sides are actual blocks dug out from the Cour Napoleon du Louvre to make place for Peis’ pyramid. This symbolizes the connection between the historic axis of Arc de Triumph, Louvre and Grande Arche de la Defense.

Les 12 Colonnes et la Terrasse: The 12 columns at the end of the esplanade are funded by 24 local businesses who wanted to show their roots in the city. From this point, the columns

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form a portal to nature with an extensive view on La base de Loisirs. The terrace offers a panoramic view on Cergy Prefecture (with the EDF tower sticking out), the banks of the Oise (with the recognizable tip of l’église Saint-Christophe). On a clear day you can even see the Eiffel Tower, the domes of the Sacre Couer and the oversized Arche de La Defanse.

The connection of the Axe Majeur with its Parisian sightline creates a resonant symbolic gesture, linking the modern day New Towns to the glory of France’s imperial past.

Les Jardins des Droits de l’Homme-Pierre Mendes France: Following the 300+ stairs of the Axe majeur, these gardens form the transition between the urbanized plateau and the Oise valley. The preserved olive tree was planted in 1990 by president François Mitterrand as a symbol of peace. Outdoor fitness enthusiasts prefer this part since its slope puts the body’s stamina to the test.

L’Amphiteatre-Gérard Philipe: At the base of the stairs an amphitheatre is located where one can enjoy open-air shows.

La Scene et le Bassin: This pool is directly connected to the Oise and is designed to create an illusive elevating effect which emphasizes the connection with the Axe majeur. An avenue of chestnut trees connects the Scene with the former home of famous actor Gêrard Philipe.

La Passerelle: The bridge spans over the Oise linking the amphitheater with the other bank at the leisure centre. This modern artwork provides an interesting combination with its bright red colour in a green and blue background.

L’ile Astronomique: Formed by the remnant of a sandbank, the island provides habitat for geese, herons, rodents and other unusual urban flora & fauna. This project was planned to include an astronomical garden with sculptures such as Jantar Mantar (Jaipur) as homage to the history of ancient Arabic astronomy.

La Pyramide: The pyramid is designed so that the sun and wind constantly form interplay with light and sound. This bird sanctuary with its blue interior is only accessible by boat.

axe majeur

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Allée de la Sébille

Maison de Quartier - L’Observatoir

A beautiful example of an experimental housing blocks constructed in this context is the one built in 1980 and designed by Claude Vasconi and George Pencrearc’h on the Allée de la Sébille. New construction methods created possibilities for larger and slimmer cantilevers which resulted in a complex landscape of terraces and balconies. Both Vasconi and Pencrearc’h, separately and together have built more projects in Cergy-Pontoise of which the Hotel d’Agglomération in Cergy-Prefecture is probably the most famous.

Southwest of the slightly lowered Place du Marché an interesting tower with a dome and transparent viewing points stands out in relation to the perpendicular buildings of ‘La Bastide’. Dating from 1983, Pierre Venencie’s ‘Maison de Quartier’ functions as a communal centre a theatre, a music school and a gym. The dome-shaped crown of the tower is actually an astronomic telescope.

In 1993 the very first concerts were given in the building, popularizing the building as ‘L’observatoir’ concert venue. At the moment, the venue is also used for weekly concerts and regional festivals (such as Jazz au fil de l’Oise, B-side Reggae, Voix/Publics, concert Starter), boosting the areas importance as a cultural centre.

La Gare RER The station of St. Christophe was designed by the much-appreciated couple Phillipe and Martine Deslandes and was opened in 1985 together with the rest of the centre. The station is designed in perfect post-modern iconography and exemplifies the two main themes of the station typology: the clock and the hall. The way in which the station is mentioned in the local tourist guide reveals the pride that the locals take in the building, and mostly in the absurd size of the clock. The local architectural guide claims it’s the biggest clock in Europe and continues by mentioning the following facts: Together the pointers weigh an impressive 350 kg on each side, and the mechanism that keeps them turning 400 kg. The clock can withstand wind speeds up to 160 km/h and the tip of the seconds pointer travels 45 kilometres a day.

worth a visit!

Marché de St. Christophe On Wednesday- and Saturday mornings the square in the middle of La Bastide transforms into a multicultural open-air market. The market offers a very vast array of fresh food and supplies from all over the world, especially from North Africa; meat, fish, cheese, flowers, spices, clothes, shoes, fabric, hardware, jewellery, pots, pans and many more.

Cergy le Haut is built in north western part of Cergy-Pontoise ,mostly in the 1990’s but some parts are still being finished. It is interesting to see the three centres because they all clearly show the ideas behind the urban planning and the architecture of their times. Whereas Cergy Prefecture is exemplary of the architectural trends in the 1970’s, St. Christophe is of the 1980’s and Le Haut of the 90s and of the transition in 20th to 21st century architecture. In the construction of this final major part of Cergy-Pontoise, the architects and planners of the new town have had time to reconsider some of their earlier ideas and positions. This can be clearly seen in the shift in intentions and architectural means from the previous two centres. The experimental days were left behind and the formal language became more and traditional. The centre was supposed to have an urban character and to achieve this, the designers used Parisian typologies in both urbanism and architecture. Apart from that, the centre needed its own identity that was distinguishable from the other centres of Cergy-Pontoise for which the traditional precedents also served their purpose.

The plans for Cergy-le-Haut were subjected to the decentralization period where local municipalities had more to say in governing and thus planning of the built environment. For the New Town however, in order to succeed the goals in terms of housing and social diversity, the national government was privileged to remain its influence. In order to do so, a convenient was signed between Cergy village, the Syndicat d’Agglommération Nouvelle (SAN) and the l’Etablissement Public d’Aménagement (EPA). Dealing with housing demand, public spaces and green areas, the district of Le-Haut was constructed following the four “quarters”: Balance between housing, offices, green spaces and public facilities.

Planners and urban designers sought to make the most out of the existing geography. The site indicates direction with the use of sightlines, forms and natural morphology. The RER station is situated at the highest point, where one can experience a great view over the valley extending to the banks of the Oise and onto the western part of Paris. The street structure is based on the meander of the river, connecting the local centre with the suburban districts of Bontemps.

Chapter V:

Cergy Le Haut

Unlike any other district of the New Town, the RER station of Le-Haut was built simultaneously with the developments of the district. This large comprehensive development gives Cergy-Le-Haut its architectural coherence such as the imposed round roofs around the RER gare. With the RER already at their disposal, the first pioneers of Le-Haut already consisted of a vast number of 7.000 inhabitants.

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Built during the 1990’s-2000’s, Cergy-le-Haut is the newest part of the New Town of CergyPontoise. It is located in the northwest end of the city and it borders with Puiseux-Pontoise, Courdimanche and Vauréal. Initially, the site of Cergy-le-Haut is the continuation of the Axe Majeur- Horloge neighborhood. Later, the implementation of St.-Christophe Park changed the economic and political context, which allowed the creation of a new centre around the RER station of Le-Haut.

The design of the neighborhood of Cergy-le-Haut and its architecture is the result of a gradual evolution of urban planning.

Moreover, while the areas of Grand Centre (Préfecture), Orée du Bois and Coteaux are examples of urban planning of the 60s and 1970’s and the Axe Majeur- Horloge, SaintChristophe area are typical of the 1980’s, Cergy-le-Haut can be seen as an example of urban planning of the 1990’s. In this case, it is possible to discuss that the urban planning of the 1990’s is a transition between twentieth century and the twenty-first century of architecture and urban planning.

Generous pedestrian streetscape provision

In the late 1980’s, planners of the New Town returned to traditional urbanism. Thus in Cergy-le-Haut, urban planning was simplified and eclecticism of buildings was moderated.

As a result the neighborhood has an image of a classical city. While the others separate circulations and functions, in Le Haut, it is completely mixed; traffic, parking, pedestrians on sidewalks and shops on the ground floor. Public areas are also treated in the type of the classic city. Green areas are not parks, but rather front gardens in the heart of the blocks. The streets and areas are therefore more widely dimensioned than the previous quarters. The buildings have six floors: it clearly distinguishes their base, higher ground floor to accommodate shops and welcome people.

Cergy-Le-Haut Schematic Diagram of mixed function and circulations on the ground floor

The place takes advantage of existing topography with using the natural curves of the site rather than a designed axis. Planners framed buildings by strong requirements, without impoverishing architecture, all the buildings have classical and modern references. The area is characterized by high quality public spaces, visible in their form and arrangement as well as in the choice of materials or street furniture.

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Place des Trois Gares

La Gare RER, Cergy le Haut

The train from Paris and the other parts of CergyPontoise takes you right into the centre of Cergy le Haut. The station, designed by the duo JM. Duthilleul E. Tricaud, was finished in 1993 together with the initial inhabitation of the first 7000 people, this assured that from the start the part was well connected to the rest of Cergy, which is not always the case in new towns. The tracks run under the central square and through a large hole in the centre of the square daylight is brought on to the platforms. The design of the station, with its large glass walls topped by a arched roof is, like the rest of the neighborhood, light and monumental. Facing the RER station is the bus Station designed by Ducharme, a canvas tent protecting the waiting passengers. The facades of the 7 story residential building blocks closing the square echo Haussmann and are a witness of the shift from experimenting with typologies back to referencing, or copying traditional ones.

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or whether the character of the building is more that of a prison. The square in front of the building is used a lot by the students and if you go there after school time you will find the students hanging around, playing basketball and doing wheelies on their bikes and scooters.

For those interested: Jules Verne was a French science-fiction writer, in his novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas he describes a submarine named Nautilus. This is where the name of the close-by square, Place du Nautilus actually comes from (Wier, 2015).

Place du Nautilus On this square the feeling of the change in architecture and urbanism is probably most evident. The square breathes 21st century with the L’eglise Bienheureux Frédéric Ozanam on the north side, the cultural centre on the south and glass cubes scattered around on the square itself. The church is designed by H. Grison, finished in 2003 and houses 1300 people and is one of the few churches in Cergy-Pontoise that is traditionally placed on the main square. Facing it is the Visages du Monde, a community centre designed by M. Badia and D. Berger which was finished almost 10 years after the church in 2012.

College des Explorateurs College des Explorateurs

The square in front of le Lycée Jules Verne

This college building is another example of the many fascinating educational buildings that Cergy-Pontoise houses. Built in 1997 by the design of the famous Cuban architect R. Porro and the French architect R. de la Noue. The interior of the building and the facades seen from its court are impressive but the exterior façade seems to have aged relatively quickly, which makes the building easily mistaken for being older than it actually is. With its Gothic buttresses and colored, butterfly shaped, glass windows it is full of references but whether the fact that the building, seen from the Boulevard des Merveilles, is like looking Batman right in the eyes was intended is very doubtful. Porro was famous for aiming for his architecture to “speak”, in that he undeniably succeeded. Furthermore the building has zinc roofs like most buildings in the area to give the neighborhood a recognizable identity.

La Lycée Jules Verne

Le Lycée Jules Verne as one of the first buildings in the area

This college was also built in 1993 as one of the first of the new neighborhood, by the design of the originally Paris based office Architecture Studio.

The building is described as a play on the contrast between the lightness of metal and glass, and the massive side of the façade of concrete. Because of all this metal and concrete it can be asked whether the school is as open and sheltering as schools often are

Visages du monde, Place du Nautilus

Part III:

Biking about!

So far in this travel guide we have looked at three separate areas of interest in the city, however the city is much more than this, there are plentiful points of interest in other areas of the city, especially due to its settling and location in the landscape.

Due to the scale of the city the best way to get around and see the connections between the variety of settings in the city is by bike!

On the following pages we will provide a cycle route which will link the centres of Le Haut, Saint.

Christophe, Cergy Village, Port, Prefecture and Pontoise.

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bicycle route

the Cergy-Pontoise travel guide

1.

4.

7.

2.

5.

8.

3.

6.

Note: Due to the topography of the city it would be best to cycle from Le Haut to Pontoise due of the steep hill at the Axe Majeur.

9.

1.

2.

3.

4.

8.

7.

6.

5.

1. Cergy Le Haut 2. Cergy Saint Christophe 3. La Belvedere 9.

4. Axe Majeur 5. Base de Loisirs 6. Cergy Port 7. Cergy Village 8. Cergy Prefecture 9. Pontoise

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15

OSNY

ARCHITECTURAL ATTRACTIONS

PUISEUX-PONTOISE

PONTOISE 11

7

10 27 42

18

6

24

9 25

CERGY

40 36

COURDIMANCHE

34

23

21 32

MENUCOURT

22.

25.

32.

8 37 5 41 4 33 39 1 3

28

17

35

26

SAINT-OUEN L’AUMÔNE 22 20

2 16

VAURÉAL

40.

ÉRAGNY-SUR-OISE

BOISEMONT 14

JOUY-LE-MOUTIER

12

38

29

NEUVILLE-SUR-OISE

13

30

31

Équipements

11. Collège des Explorateurs 1997 • Ricardo Porro et Renaud de la Noue

1. La Préfecture 1969 • Henri Bernard 2. École des Plants 1975 • Jean Renaudie 3. ESSEC 1976 • Ivan Seifert 2004 • extension Marc Seifert 4. Hôtel d’agglomération 1978 • Claude Vasconi et Georges Pencréac’h 5. ENSAPC École nationale supérieure d’art Paris-Cergy 1982 • Jean-Pierre Buffi 6. Horloge Gare Saint-Christophe 1985 • Martine et Philippe Deslandes 7. Hôtel de ville 1990 • Dominique Armand, Thierry Melot 8. Site des Chênes de l’Université de Cergy-Pontoise 1991 • Michel Remon 9. Halle du marché Saint-Christophe 1992 • Antoine Grumbach 10. Lycée Jules Verne 1993 • Architecture Studio

12. Espace des Calandres 1998 • Frédéric.

Jung 13. Maison de quartier des éguerets et son beffroi 1980 • Bernard Mathieu et Luc Martel 14. Site de Neuville de L’Université de Cergy-Pontoise 1996 • Bruno Gaudin, 1999 • Michel Kagan 15. Lycée Paul-Emile Victor 1996 • Gilles Lehoux et Pierre Phily 16. École des Maradas 1973 • Georges Pencréac’h 17. Site Saint-Martin de l’Université de Cergy-Pontoise 1994 • Guy Autran 18. Palais de Justice 2005 • Henri Ciriani 19. Auror’environnement, usine d’incinération 1990 • Jean-Robert Mazaud et Catherine Parant

20 .Gare de Liesse 2002 • Jean-Marie Duthilleul et Étienne Tricaud

29. Logements « Pyramide » 1980 • Philippe Viarmesson

21. Église Sainte-Claire 1995 • Jean Cosse

30. Habitat groupé « Les Vignes Blanches » 1981 • Claude Bouvier, Yves Gonin, Jacques Grell-Albert

Logements 22. Tour Bleue des Cerclades 1974 • Martine et Philippe Deslandes 23. Résidence Cergy 7 1975 • Georges Pencréac’h et Michel Gaillard 24. Logements « La Louisiane » 1984 • Dominique Montassut et Bernard Trilles

31. Logements individuels « La Hayette » 1982 • « Habitat communautaire » 32. Quartier « Coeur de Ville », Place du Coeur Battant 2005 •

1.

17.

6.

21.

25. Logements Place des Colonnes 1986 • Ricardo Bofi ll 26. Port Cergy 1990 • François et Bernard Spoerry 27. Centre gare Hauts-de-Cergy 2004 • Michel Ducharme 28. Golf Immobilier Golf et 250 Maisons 1989 • Alain Provost et Bréguet Construction

19

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Cergy St.Christophe Sources

references

Cergy Prefecture

1.

Parcours architecture – Municipality of Cergy-Pontoise 2.

L’architecture contemporaine à Cergy-Pontoise - Municipality of Cergy-Pontoise 3. http://www.archdaily.com/642313/cergy-pontoise-forms-and-fictions-of-a-new- city 4.

Cergy-Pontoise Urban Project Management Workshops August – September 2008 5.

Antoine Grumbach et Associés 6.

“Cergy-Pontoise du projet à la réalité – Atlas

commenté”, Ateliers Internationaux de Maîtrise d’œuvre Urbaine, Editions

Mardaga, 2004 7.

Ricardo Bofill, Taller de Arquitectura 8 www.delcampe.net 9 Cergy-Pontoise du projet a la realite - Warnier Bertrand

1. Nio, I. (2013). Leren van Cergy-Pontoise. S+RO Thema Nieuwe Steden. 2013/02.

2. Mol, L. & Buurman, M. (1990). Villes Nouvelles. De vijf nieuwe steden rond Parijs.

3. Charre, A. (2004). A new interpretation of urban planning. Interview with Bertrand Warnier. CityLab review on Urban Design an Planning.

4. Urbanisme de Cergy-Préfecture. (2015). Plus de détails Volumétrie et circulation de la dalle de Cergy-Préfecture. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urbanisme_de_Cergy-Préfecture 5. Bernard, P. (2004). Habiter Cergy-Pontoise. CityLab review on Urban Design an Planning.

6. Cergy-Pontoise l’agglomeration.

(2011).

Schema de Coherence Territoriale.

Document d’Orientations Générales.

Agence Francois Leclercq, BASE, Sophie Simonet Consultante, CITEC, IGREC, Partenaires Development. (2013). Grand Centre. Plan Urbain de Reference.

Sources: Images: 1. Place des Trois Gares: Parcours Architecture Les Hauts-de-Cergy, Dernier Quartier de la Ville Nouvelle 2. La Gare RER, Cergy le Haut: http://s3.lprs1.fr/images/2015/04/09/4679009_8d73 cb94-dede-11e4-b949-001517810e22-1_545x460_autocrop.jpg 3. Le Lycée Jules Verne as one of the first buildings in the area: http://www.architecture-studio.fr/ v1/Architecture-studio/Architecturestudio. php?rubrique=ReaDetail&ID=CY2# 4. Visages du monde, Place du Nautilus: http://www.badia-berger.com/projets.php?cat=equipem ents&projet=Cergy&photo=Cergy12.jpg 5. Cupers, K. (2010). In Search of the User: The Experiment of Modern Urbanism in Postwar France, 1955-1975. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University.

6. Wier, S. (2015). The Design of Jules Verne’s Nautilus. Boulder, Colorado.

7. The Baltimore Sun. (1992).

Technology School’s Students May Be Running On Empty. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/19920 1 - 0 5 / n e w s / 9 213 0 0 0 12 9_ 1_ s c h o o l - o f - t e c h n o l o g y - p o l e y - s u g a r 8. Hirvonen, I. (2012). Cruel Comedy à la Eric Rohmer. http://essenceoffilm. t u m b l r. c o m / p o s t /19 9 6 0 3 9 8 9 0 1/ c r u e l - c o m e d y - a - l a - e r i c - r o h m e r

Cergy Le Haut Images: 1.

Place des Trois Gares: Parcours Architecture Les Hauts-de-Cergy, Dernier Quartier de la

Ville Nouvelle 9. Coppens, P. (2015).

Mitterand’s Great Unknown Work. http://www.philipcoppens.com/axemajeur.html 11 Grands Projets of François Mitterrand. (2015). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Grands_Projets_of _François_Mitterrand

2.

La Gare RER, Cergy le Haut: http://s3.lprs1.fr/images/2015/04/09/4679009_8d73

cb94-dede-11e4-b949-001517810e22-1_545x460_autocrop.jpg Le Lycée Jules Verne as one of the first buildings in the area: http://www.architecture-studio. fr/v1/Architecture-studio/Architecturestudio. php?rubrique=ReaDetail&ID=CY2# 4. Visages du monde, Place du Nautilus: http://www.badia-berger.com/projets.php?cat=equi pements&projet=Cergy&photo=Cergy12.jpg 5. Cupers, K. (2010). In Search of the User: The Experiment of Modern Urbanism in Postwar France, 1955-1975. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University.

6. Wier, S. (2015). The Design of Jules Verne’s Nautilus. Boulder, Colorado.

3.

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Epilogue Largely unknown as a tourist destination, Cergy-Pontoise, has a lot to offer and is full of amazing places to be explored.

This area with its beautiful landscape; fascinating historical context and amazing diverse sub centres gives you so many opportunities everyone can enjoin. This guide has tried to take you through all these aspects Cergy-Pontoise has shown us already. Hopefully sharing this with you made your journey to this fascinating new town a great adventure. We structured this guide by placing the new town development in time. Therefore a chronological way of presenting the development of Cergy-Pontoise was used to understand why and how the city came to existence.

This is the second instalment in a series of Alternative Travel Guides initiated by the International New Town Institute. We’ve done the research so you can enjoy these undiscovered and unloved New Towns—before the rest of the world finds them!