type
Masterplan
Context
The "Quartiers de demain" (Neighborhoods of Tomorrow) international consultation mobilizes the professional worlds of architecture, urban planning, and landscape design on an unprecedented scale to transform and rehabilitate French neighborhoods designated as priorities under urban policy. At a time of accelerating climate urgency, which calls into question the very habitability of certain areas, designers play a decisive role in using urban planning and architecture to drive ecological, social, and cultural transitions, while respecting and enhancing the unique environments and histories of each territory. A national process has identified ten sites for study, mobilizing a series of three teams of French and international professionals for each location.
Mission
CityTools was actively engaged at the Sedan site. The five towers of the Résidence Ardenne in Sedan are visible from afar, whether arriving via the highway or strolling through the town center, they stand prominent, overlooking the city and its river. Unique in France, they were built within the very fortifications of the medieval castle. Erected in 1965, these towers are now neglected and cut off from the rest of the city by the historic walls. Better integrating this neighborhood with the town center could revitalize it by leveraging its distinct landscape qualities and creating a new urban layer that is both ecological and resilient.
Approach
The project views the site not so much from the city center, which looks up at it from below, but rather through the eyes of its own residents. "I live in towers in the countryside," remarked a member of the citizens' jury convened during the consultation process. The aim, therefore, is to "shift the perspective." A new ecological and climatic framework is proposed, drawing upon the living heritage of the ramparts.
The site’s various environments are strengthened and enriched, centered around a clearing designed as the heart of the residential community's social life. Two ramps provide a connection to the lower town, while the layout of the towers is modified to multiply potential configurations. By utilizing apartments that can be easily subdivided, the design allows for a wide range of adaptations, versatile uses, and shared spaces, effectively accommodating diverse residential needs and life paths. Through these various principles and approaches, the proposed project explores a range of potential responses to the challenges of transition: heritage revitalization, material preservation, flow and active mobility, flexible housing options, and more.