On the tip of the Lyon peninsula at the confluence of the Saône and the Rhône, this site is the figurehead; the urban prow of the city.

This site is the missing piece in the overall strategy of a range of parks established in the new Confluence district. Imagined as an urban woodland, this singular landscape structure acts as an urban relay space between the different centralities and poles on the periphery. The Musée des Confluences, the banks of the Saône, the interconnecting pathways and the future downgrading of the motorway are all elements to be considered and aggregated in order to achieve a strong coherence between the districts.

The guide plan is naturalistic, inspired by the logics and geographical movements of the river that has transformed this site over thousands of years. The buildings, which host cultural or advanced technology programs, fit easily into this landscape. Streets transform into crossroads, wandering around the buildings in an alluvial nature. An investment strategy defines an urban focus and thematic events called ‘Camp de Base du Champ’ boosting the attractiveness of the site.

Project Data

Landscape Architecture: BASE Landscape Architecture
Other designers involved in the design of landscape: Arcadis + Bruit du frigo + ON + EODD
Project location: Confluence district, city of Lyon in France
Design year: 2016
Year Built: 2016 –
Photographer: ©Laurence Danière