Place de la Concorde

Columbia University GSAPP Shape of Two Cities Program (2018-2019)

Location: Paris, France

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This intervention is an exploration of the possibility of taking a large and dwarfing urban planning experience such as that of Place de la Concorde located on the central axis of Paris, and create a human scale within it. Currently, the square is the largest in Paris and used for large demonstrations. It is dominated by a traffic circle that leaves little space for a safe and enjoyable pedestrian experience.

Main Goals

Place De La Concorde Intervention

Axon of Design Intervention

Design Development

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Diagram of Protests

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Materiality Study

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Site Analysis

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Final Site Plan

Preliminary Exploration Collage

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Preliminary Exploration Collage

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Intervention: Manipulating Terrain

In order to acknowledge the deep and rich history of Place de la Concorde while still finding a way to alter it radically, it was important to emphasize the materials that have been constant within that space for centuries; the stone. Through extruding large grey blocks and using them as sitting, stepping, and guiding features, they support the new green landscape that emerges.

Excerpt From Final Presentation Board

Before Intervention

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