Croissant

At the crossroads of the La Défense business district, the André Malraux departmental park and the Paris La Défense Arena, the Croissant sector is continuing the transformation begun in 2015.

Within the Seine-Arche ZAC, the Croissant sector is at the interface of the La Défense business district, the Terrasses de Nanterre and the André Malraux park. It is part of an overall development project led by Paris La Défense in close collaboration with the city of Nanterre.

Structured around the 1970s roadworks, whose curve it follows, the Croissant sector is bounded by the Boulevard de La Défense and Emile Aillaud's "Nuages" towers (Cité Pablo Picasso). Since 2015, the demolition of part of the former MP89 overhead car park has given way to the first phase of the urban project (2015-203), with the construction of the Altana housing development, which will welcome its first residents in 2019. This will be followed in 2022 by the opening of the Institut Léonard de Vinci, a higher education institute specialising in computer science, and the arrival of new residents in the 50 homes of the Arche Horizon residence (https://parisladefense.com/en/discover/towers/arche-horizon-1) and ground floor shops. At the same time, new public spaces have been created to mark the new entrance to the district, with the opening of the upgraded Boulevard Pesaro.

Phase 2 objectives

This new phase will open up the Croissant sector to neighbouring districts and the André Malraux departmental park, create a mixed neighbourhood offering affordable housing, facilities (gymnasium, community hall) and diversified ground-floor businesses, and upgrade public spaces by creating new pedestrian links.

Currently under study, the second phase of development is being designed by the consortium led by the MG-AU agency with Atelier Jours and OGI. Made possible by the demolition of the last elements of the car park in 2020, this phase aims to create a new "piece of town", in stark contrast to the old urban landscape: life will be organised around planted public spaces, as well as certain ground floors open to local residents and users.

The programme includes the relocation of the Gorki community hall and the construction of a new gymnasium on the ground floor of one of the new buildings. Thanks to an ambitious redevelopment of the external spaces, pedestrian routes will be made clearer between the André Malraux park, Emile Aillaud's "Nuages" towers (Cité Pablo Picasso) and the La Défense business district.

The urban project is being carried out in coordination with the restructuring of the boulevard urbain de La Défense, being undertaken by the CD92.

Close to everything!

Le Croissant is less than 15 minutes from :

• La Défense Grande Arche (Transilien L and U, metro line 1, RER A)
• Nanterre Préfecture RER A station
• the future Nanterre La Folie RER E station (2024) and M15 station of the Grand Paris Express (by 2031).

Project timetable**

**Phase 1

• 2015 Demolition of the first section of the above-ground car park, launch of property development projects
• 2019 Handover of the Altana building, opening of the first public spaces
• 2020 Restructuring of access to the Egalité car park
• 2021 Opening of the Léonard de Vinci higher education site
• 2022 Delivery of the Arche Horizon residence

**Phase 2

• 2020 Demolition of the second section of the above-ground car park
• 2021-2024 Design of the urban project
• 2021-2023 Restructuring of the Gorki school complex (City contracting authority)
• 2024-2027 Construction of new buildings and development of public spaces

Did you know?

Why is this project called Le Croissant? The name of the Crescent project comes from the shape of the perimeter on which the developments are taking place.