From ideas to process-projects

Project Strategy

Family: Urban articulations

Following the competition, the 3 prize-winning teams worked on an urban study in the framework of the programme “Coeur de ville” in order to establish a framework and broad directions for future projects. Three lines of action were to be considered: Develop a cultural program and strengthen tourist appeal; strengthen housing supply; rethink mobility and maintain parking supply. The first step was to understand the project site and the expectations of the different partners through various workshops and site visits. The teams worked on the pedestrian and landscape continuities and on restoring pedestrian priority to better connect the left bank to the heart of the city.
They also studied how to reinforce the connection with the hillside neighbourhoods and proposed to implement a new disrtict on the slope. The project reinforces the central role of the Jordanne and offers a new urban facade facing the city centre with active and animated ground floors. The urban study has been submitted in nov. 2019.

The city then launched a design contract –restricted to the 3 prize-winning teams– for the redevelopment of the Gravier car park and Place Gerbert, which corresponds to the operational launch of a first phase of the overall project proposed during the urban study.
The Europan runner-up team (ACLAA) won this tender.
In 2024 the city launched a new tender once again reserved to the 3 Europan prize-winning teams for the ENGIE brownfield site, the “Foirail” and the Cours d’Angoulême. The runner-up team (ACLAA – project “Panoplie”) and the winning team (Atelier Pareto Paysage – project “The Great Park”) chose to partner together to answer to this call for tenders. The city therefore received two bids.
ACLAA and Atelier Pareto paysage won the tender for urban, public space and architectural project management.
After several workshops with the stakeholders and the city, the teams presented in June 2025, 3 development scenarios for the site. It's the scenarios 2 that has been retained: half park + tourist office + 50 dwellings + third places + restaurant + parking silo.
The teams are proposing a long-term, process-oriented project designed to avoid prematurely fixing how the site is used. The project is structured around four thematic seasons—broken down into phases—to allow for a gradual, adaptable, and coherent rollout over time.
- The first phase involves opening up the site through temporary developments, the redevelopment of the Cours d'Angoulême service road, and the relocation of parking facilities.
- The second phase will centre on the construction of the initial key buildings (the tourist office and a multi-story car park). The Cours d'Angoulême will be redeveloped into a unifying, greened public space. Interim improvements will continue, facilitating a shift in the site's functional image.
- The third phase (2030) will focus on building housing in the upper section of the site and creating a second landscaped area: the Foirail Square.
- Finally, the fourth phase will see the construction of the "Halle des Surprises," located along the Cours d'Angoulême frontage. It is conceived as a "third place" capable of adapting to different uses and evolving over time.

Process

Category(ies): Co-creative processes, Collaborative processes, Competitive processes, Participative processes

Co-creative processes

Following the competition, the city commissioned the 3 rewarded teams to develop an urban study on the Europan site. The aim of this joint study is to establish the main guidelines for future projects.

Collaborative processes

A workshop was organised to launch this urban study with various local stakeholders involved, enabling the 3 teams to understand the site in light of the new programming brought about by the ‘Action Cœur de Ville’ operation.

Competitive processes

Following this study, the city launched a first restricted tender to the 3 rewarded teams for an urban project management contract for public spaces along the Jordanne river (Gravier car park and Place Gerbert). The runner-up team ACLAA won the contract.
Two years later, the city launched a second restricted tender to the 3 rewarded teams for an urban project management contract for public spaces and architecture for the Engie brownfield site. For this new tender, the Winner and Special Mention from the Europan competition decided to join forces to respond and won the contract.

Participative processes

For the Engie brownfield development, the 2 Europan teams launched a broad participatory and consultative process in order to gather the opinions of all stakeholders.