Guitrancourt is a small town of 650 residents in the western countryside of Paris. The Town Hall Square was composed of a multitude of disconnected spaces, as parts of a gentle slope topography. The former heterogeneous space layout evolved thanks to a clear identification of the urban functions. The Parvis of the Church, the Town Hall Square and the Park. The existing topography has been a vehicle and an inspiration for the site design. A neat cut of the existing ground allowed the definition of a generous space, just right of the Town Hall, in the form of a calm meeting place in the renewed square.
Landscape architecture: Espace Libre
Client: Guitrancourt
Location: Guitrancourt
Area: 5000 m²
Design: 2013-2015
Realisation: 2015-2016
Crédit photo: Julien Falsimagne
A large urban staircase provides a visual and physical connection between all the carved spaces. The steps allow the continuous link of the different spaces from the park till the church, while the accessibility for disabled people is assured from the side of the park. The link between the different spaces has been reinforced with the installation of a corten linear drainage on the upper side of the stairs. A very natural park creates a contrast with the hardscape of the Square. A playground for children and a green car park complete the whole of the project.“
from landezine