Place of Porte d’Aix 
 Marseille 

Rehabilitation of public spaces in the city center of Marseille as part of the ZAC Saint-Charles, a 15-hectare district near the railway station with a mixed vocation of tertiary activities and housing. Non-laureat project.

After having created the Euroméditerranée charter of public spaces (with Joel Ricorday, landscape architect), an investigation into the uses of these spaces (with CERFISE), this competition for the project management of public spaces was an opportunity for us to concretely lay the foundations for a flexible and sustainable public space in Marseille.
Accompanied by Marion Talagrand Paysagiste (representative), we tried to recompose this unfinished sector of the 19th century along the historical axis and the modern axis which thus reveal all the nature of soil and relief.
The inclusion of a one-hectare urban park has been the subject of great attention, particularly in addressing its boundary with major public space: avoiding grids, opting for smooth transitions, permeable views, and defined activities.

In the main area, one of the main topics is to avoid the risk of over-appropriation by one or more groups of users. It is thus proposed perennial activities (sports, games, gardening) as well as ephemeral activities (outdoor cinema, market, commemoration) in connection with neighborhood associations and ground-floor activities.
Our method aimed to approach this project with pragmatism while remaining rigorous in the design of public space. The entire project, however, is based on a real usage program developed during the competition.
A modest intervention in a monumental environment to promote the architecture of everyday life with striking gestures.