Trac3s

2007

The project for the entrance to the town of Le Locle is based on three "imprints". Large open expanses are designed to serve as profound markers, revealing the identity of the town and relaying it across the immediate cross-border environment of the Jura.
The basic public space unites the three urban themes of a sustainable development project: 1: enhancing the natural setting in terms of overall landscaping in a way which is both economically and environmentally viable; 2: channelling flows to intensify local life and turn this high-traffic area into a place of socially and economically equitable exchanges; 3: increasing the density of the neighbourhood centre to control urban spread and preserve the natural setting in a way which is environmentally and socially viable.
These three 'imprints' embody places in which people can mingle both physically and in terms of identity, and engage with the landscape on the scale of Land Art:

(1) the shallow lake serves to embed Le Locle in the network of Jura mountain lakes;
(2) the marshlands raise awareness of the local ecosystem;
(3) the "common thread" which links the mobility and facilities programmes combines the 3 key elements of the site: vegetation, rock and water. From its base in the depths of the quarry to the lake's jetty, multiple views over the site will be created in a progression running from belvedere to stage, multimodal hub and open square.

A new urban centre focused on relaxation and nature will be developed progressively around these "imprints". The empty space which is so foundational to the project will teem with life.

2008-…

Following the competition, the team was asked to develop a masterplan and feasibility studies.
The Europan project is the unifying element of various projects including an eco-district, a multimodal hub and a project of an inter-communal transport infrastructure.
Through this project, we sought to revitalise the town’s identity in its mountainous Jura environment through large-scale landscape entities. The open expanses of the lake, of the wetland and the former quarry are perceived as “imprints” which embody the region’s legacy. Around these, a new central urban area with a focus on relaxation and nature will gradually be established.
The project’s original ambition is intact, and now forms part of a World Heritage Site designated by UNESCO for the legacy of watchmaking town planning exemplified by Le and La Chaux-de-Fonds. In the course of the process, additional environmental studies highlighted the presence of a biotope suitable for the development of an ecosystem around the wetlands and the restored natural waterways. With these additions, the masterplan we are currently finalising lays the foundations for an urban ecology project that combines urban development and ecosystem redeployment. The next step will be the development of the lake areas.
The masterplan presented in 2012 is still being validated by the Canton. Since 2012, the team completed the drafting of planning documents and met various local stakeholders to clarify the project.
The city voted the budget for the implementation of the lake with the aim of achieving this development project by 2018. The city is buying the necessary lands to the State, which would lead to operational studies.
The mission is expected to extend with a contract for public spaces, for the lake and with a mission of Project management assistance in the definition of a mixed housing-activities eco-district.