Along the Banks of the Ourcq
The development of the banks of the Canal de l'Ourcq contributes to an infrastructural and landscape structuring at a territorial scale. The ZAC (Zone d'Aménagement Concertée) of "Rives de l'Ourcq" thus pursues a broader development dynamic, which will soon be reinforced by the arrival of the Grand Paris Express at the Bondy Bridge.
Once limited to its status as a transportation infrastructure, the canal now delineates a unique landscape, characterized by industrial architectures that have become landscape markers over time.
Due to this recent past, the municipality maintains a complex relationship with the banks of the canal. This urban project aims at reclaiming and reappropriating a unique landscape fringe by and for the city.
The depth of the perspective along the banks requires particular attention. Their linearity is punctuated with landscape markers such as footbridges, vegetation, silos, etc., which define the identity of the territory. Therefore, architecture becomes a fundamental issue in shaping the spatial and mental construction of the upcoming urban project, the neighbourhood, and the municipality as a whole.
The project draws from this reflection to propose a coherent and mindful response at different scales. Organized around a garden that extends into a public space along the canal, the urban block consists of two symmetrical co-properties treated by two distinct teams of architects. This raises the question of coordinating the two operations.
The coherence lies in a logic of architectural diversity that unifies the urban block while distinguishing each building. This creates an animated landscape, crafted through the relationship between buildings and open, landscaped, and planted spaces.
Eager to contribute to this diversity, the project offers two complementary yet distinct architectures. It distinguishes between two placements:
A "canal" building, situated at the forefront and aligned with the deep perspective of the canal.
A "street" building, set back, delimiting the landscaped space and defining the rear of the block.
The project highlights the centrality of the location. Visible from the bridge and directly accessible by the ramp, the canal building signals the place and its future liveliness. It embraces its role as a landscape marker, characterized by a narrow, vertical, metal construction, reminiscent of the pre-existing industrial structures on the site.
In contrast, the rear building offers a more serene architecture, featuring two distinct volumes on either side of a gap that allows natural light to illuminate the interior circulation.
The combination of the public and private garden areas, extending along the quay and accompanied by a café-brasserie, creates an attractive and identifiable mix of uses visible from the nearby bridge.
The program includes 60 residential units distributed across three stairwells, commercial or activity spaces, and a 62-space parking lot.
The canal building comprises 16 units (3 units per floor): the larger apartments occupy the corners and benefit from outdoor extensions to the south, while the two-room apartments have dual orientations.
The street building is divided into two blocks of 22 units, each served by an elevator and a staircase. The staircases are intertwined (Chambord-type) to optimize space, so each landing contains only 4 units and is naturally lit by the two gaps.
Designed to favor the orientation of the apartments, the floor plan offers corner living rooms that open to the landscape. The outdoor spaces expand alongside the living rooms to provide usable balconies.
The canal building is clad in very light grey standing-seam zinc. The street building features a finely scraped coating facade, and the gap and certain pilasters are finished with textured and stained concrete. The undersides of the balconies are stained concrete.
The architecture of the canal building, like an architectural anomaly, contributes to the persistence of the Canal de l'Ourcq landscape.
