Density was the main subject of this workshop proposed by architects Philippe Gazeau and Stéphane Maupin at ENSAPVS (Paris 2008-2009), with the belief it could be a tool for urban renewal or transformation. Even an already dense city like Paris would benefit, even need, an increase of its population within its limits in order to oppose the rather deadly but very real tendances of museification, and urban sprawl. Evidently however, this approach is not about letting everybody build higher all over the place. The area of study had then to be carefully chosen: we went on working on the site of Montparnasse.We tried not to think too much about what would be harmful for the existing city in such a dramatic increase of the density or what form should it take, but precisely on the opposite: what could it allow? How does the city benefits from the insertion of high-rise or mega-buildings?
Each of our buildings hosts altogether a major equipment, such as a sports field, swimming-pool, library… and particular housing / offices directly in contact with it. We seek good couples to ensure that everybody benefits from the major porosity between the city and the equipment, and then between the equipment and its more private extension.
[Team project with Marie-Laure Cazes]