Paris beats London to garden bridge with linear park linking Place du Trocadéro with the Eiffel Tower
by Andrew Manns | 22 May 2019
Credit: Courtesy of Gustafson Porter + Bowman
– Kathryn Gustafson
The city of Paris has selected London-based landscape design practice Gustafson Porter + Bowman (GP+B) to lead a €72m (US$80.3m, £63.5m) expansion of the public realm around the Eiffel Tower.
Expected to dramatically enhance and diversify the visitor experience at the iconic building, the project will see a variety of new spaces created, including a green amphitheatre at the Place du Trocadéro and two plazas – one on each side of the Pont d'Iéna bridge – which will be greened and closed to traffic to create a garden bridge.
The reimagined space will feature walkways and cycling paths, as well as a green promenade that will link the Eiffel Tower, the Bir Hakeim bridge, and the Museé Quai Branly.
"Our scheme aims to breathe new life into a historic landscape, creating a 21st-century destination for one of Paris' largest parks," said Mary Bowman, partner at GP+B.
A number of design and engineering firms are also attached to the project, among which are exhibition specialists dUCKS Scéno, heritage architects Atelier Monchecourt & Co, and infrastructure consultancy Bollinger-Grohmann.
The development, which is being financed by the Eiffel Company, is expected to be completed ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Eiffel Tower Paris Gustafson Porter Olympics
The Eiffel Tower site is expected to be completed in 2023. Credit: Courtesy of Gustafson Porter + Bowman
The project will also see the landmark's lighting fixtures and pedestrian areas enhanced. Credit: Courtesy of Gustafson Porter + Bowman
The city of Paris has selected London-based landscape design practice Gustafson Porter + Bowman (GP+B) to lead a €72m (US$80.3m, £63.5m) expansion of the public realm around the Eiffel Tower. Expected to dramatically enhance and diversify the visitor experience at the iconic building, the project will see a variety of new spaces created, including a green amphitheatre at the Place du Trocadéro and two plazas – one on each side
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