Chartres cœur de ville

Reclaiming urban squares and boulevards by affirming a new centrality and in a spirit of “sustainable” urban development. A concession car park was also created on a “design-build” basis with Q-Park; RP Boisse, architect and France DV Construction.
As its name suggests, the "Cœur de ville" (City Core) project clearly addresses the issue of centrality, which characterises the development of the historical centre of Chartres. The upper boulevards surrounding the upper quarters of the medieval town define an open urban form that brings together and distributes the functions of the city centre.

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The urban project can be summed up by three objectives:
- Make the traffic plan clear and easy to understand.
Street-level parking is replaced by the construction of a car park underneath the boulevards and the volume of traffic is deliberately restricted.
- Design of a “deep” boulevard. The route of the boulevards follows that of the car parks, offering easy and safe access to the city centre.
- Punctuate the boulevards with 5 addresses. About 200 m apart and embodied by a physical bond between the car park and the ground, with hemmed-in gardens and terraces.

The landscaping features are laid out according to two principles: continuity with the lines of silver lime trees that recall the former structure of the town and the asymmetrical treatment of the boulevards.
The project's aim is to create a sequence of open areas that are demarcated in space, suited to a multitude of uses and a range of activities (walking, markets, commemorations, etc.).

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Delivery : 2006

Project owner
City of Chartres

Project supervision
Reichen et Robert & Associés
Landscaping: Jacqueline Osty
Design office: Arcadis ESG
Lighting designer: Concepto Roger Narboni | Design office, fountains: JM Larca

Area
72,000 m² ground space covered

Project value
€10 M tax excluded (excluding car parks)
€18.34 M taxes included
Photographers
Bernard Reichen
Roger Naboni
Xavier Boymond