West 8: Ile St. Denis

Hot off the wire from World Landscape Architect, Landscape+Urbanism favorites West 8 have recently won a competition for the Ecological District Ile Saint Denis. As with most competition entries, the sum total of our understanding comes from a few zoomy images and a snippet of descriptive text. So here's both, all text images via West 8.





"The winning design of West 8 and ING-Bremond for a new ecological district just outside of Paris emphasizes the insular character of the area. The experience of and the identification with the surrounding water of the Seine is being maximized; the two shores each have in their own way a relationship with the water.





The project consists of cleaning and transforming the industrial heart of Ile Saint-Dénis. Furthermore the island will be linked more to the different areas surrounding the island. At the same time the different parts of the island itself will be linked together as well; the future promenade and cycle tracks alongside the water will reconnect the northern and southern parts of the island.





The design’s objective is to create housing, employment and (aquatic) recreation. There will be a variety of typologies and dwelling forms. It will be a maximal expression of individuality in a rural area, in the middle of an urban environment."





Urban and landscape architects: West 8
Local landscape architect: Mutabilis
Architects: Babled-Nouvert Reynaud, Bouillaud-Donnadieu, Dana Ponec, Emmanuel Combarel Dominique Marrec, Jourda Architects, Peripheriques, Neutlings