Michelet

Michelet, confidential and lively at the same time!

The Michelet district is located in Puteaux, on the south-eastern edge of the La Défense business district. It is located at the intersection of three distinct sectors:

• The Esplanade, to the north, on the historic axis linking the Louvre to La Défense,
• The Boulevard Circulaire Patrick Devedjian to the south,
• Puteaux town centre, accessible via the Vignes and de l'Orme footbridges.

Well served by public transport, the Michelet district has direct access to the Esplanade de La Défense metro station. Flanked to the north by the Lightwell, Acacia and Allianz towers, and to the south by Carré Michelet, the Total Michelet tower and the construction site of The Link tower, the Cours Michelet is the centre of gravity of the district. Its role as a "distribution" of public spaces, transport (Esplanade metro) and surrounding buildings must be strengthened.

Because it is located at an intermediate level between the slab of the business district and the historic centre of Puteaux, the Michelet district is relatively confidential. This characteristic is cultivated by the intimate aspect of the Cours Michelet and its plantations. This "small district" has its own dynamism, supported by the presence of shops and restaurants at the foot of the buildings.

The renovation of this 1.2 hectare public space is a necessary step to:

• to overcome the differences in levels in the district,
• connect the natural ground (low square) and the slab of La Défense,
• strengthen the existing accesses (footbridges, access to the metro, Forum...)
• weaving new links via the creation of new connectors.

A sector in transformation: an urban project to reinforce the dynamism of the district

The urban project piloted by Paris La Défense will bring an additional dimension to the attractiveness of the district. The pronounced layering of the sector, from the esplanade to the ground of Puteaux, cannot be erased. However, the reorganisation of the existing accesses will make it possible to blur it. Thus, the surroundings of the new buildings, which have been thoroughly renovated, will highlight their architectural quality. The renovation of the Cours Michelet and its various plant layers will greatly improve the comfort of users. Access to the Esplanade metro station will be clearer and pedestrians will be better guided. The Boulevard Circulaire will be made traversable, to establish continuity between the city of Puteaux and the business district.

In addition, new accesses will facilitate vertical links between the natural ground and the different levels of the slab, while offering direct access to the Esplanade, the Boulevard Circulaire and the covered lanes. These connectors have two objectives, to anchor the Michelet district to the surrounding sectors and to improve accessibility by attenuating the different levels of the slab.

The Métro connector

A 20-metre ramp will link the Cours Michelet to the metro access. The eastern entrance to the district will thus offer an efficient connection to the Esplanade and the covered walkways and the main flows will be better directed. In addition, garden-type vegetated islands will be created.

The République Connector

The République Connector will make the Cours Michelet an address in its own right in Puteaux by facilitating access to The Link via the lower forecourt and by contributing to the calming of the Boulevard Circulaire Patrick Devedjian. Crossing the boulevard will also be facilitated. To achieve these objectives, the following will be installed:

• a monumental staircase whose steps will be planted with trees
• accessible lifts on the Carré Michelet side,
• the pedestrian crossing of the Boulevard Circulaire.

The renovation of the Cours Michelet

The renovation of the Cours Michelet is based on different axes:

• The planting of the Cours Michelet and the forecourt of The Link tower will include 191 new trees (300 trees in total). The existing straight tree line will be respected.
• The north and south sides of the tree-lined mall will be lined with generously planted "gardens" and islands - or "lounges" - offering occasional points of shade and coolness at the foot of the towers.
• The porphyry paving stones of the Cours Michelet will be removed, cleaned and reinstalled. No less than 50% of the paving will be reused.
• The permeability of the ground will be improved thanks to grassed paving stone joints, the orientation of the slopes towards the plantations, the creation of earth spaces at the ends of the mall and the retention of rainfall in the various interstices of the slab.
• To respond to the alternating straight and curved forms of the mall, gardens and lounges, the furniture will adopt a variety of shapes)

Calendar

Work on the Cours Michelet will be carried out in phases to maintain the site's functionality and reduce disruption to users. They will start at the beginning of 2024 and finish in 2026.

Contact: michelet-projeturbain@parisladefense.com