Renovating Les Rues

Pont de Sèvres by Atelier du Pont

With the end of the Second World War, the economies of Western Europe enjoyed a three decade period of spectacular growth.

In France, this was referred to as les trente glorieuses – the 30 glorious years.

Jonathan Hopkin, a professor of comparative politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science, noted that this prosperity was broadly shared, with consistent growth in living standards for rich and poor alike and the emergence of a broad middle class.

This included better housing, with home ownership becoming more common.

Built in the 1970s, the Pont de Sèvres is a classic concrete slabbuilt neighbourhood in Paris, France, dating back to the end of the Glorious Thirties and characterised by its high level of density.

It’s now undergoing a massive renovation project, with French architects Atelier du Pont tasked with renovating public passageways.

Classified as a ‘ZUS’ Sensitive Urban Area in 1996 – defined by the French authorities to be a high-priority target for city policy – the plan to redevelop the neighbourhood began in 2008.

Priority was given to renovating the public space, specifically the Vieux Pont de Sèvres and Aquitaine passageways. Once outside the city limits and next to the old Renault factory, the new Vieux Pont de Sèvres public passageways have become a new entrance to the Trapèze neighbourhood.

CUTTING THROUGH CONCRETE

These covered passageways are the most direct connection between the Pont de Sèvres metro station and the newer Le Trapèze neighbourhood, built on the site of the old Renault factory.