The Stationers of Nanterre

A very emblematic project on the old Smurffit Kappa stationers in Nanterre. We had been consulted by the owners of this industrial area after its activity session, Smurffit Kappa owner of the site had the intention to find an urban and political solution to transform the territory in what was to become an industrial wasteland within La Défensen in Nanterre.
Our work, without wanting to go « green » in order to go « green » was to understand the place with all its components. The Seine, the factory, the buildings, the restricted accesses and imagine with the city of Nanterre and the owners; the ideal scenario. Long before a Parisian developer bought the land from our client thanks to our work, this project took over all the achievements of what could be a sucessful urban transformation. The integration of water through the creation of a river loop representing an alternative gentle connection, pedestrian paths, a mix of uses retaining an industrial essence. This recipe allowed our client to sell their land no longer as an industrial wasteland but as a place of sustainable development of an eco-district for the Town Hall of Nanterre.
Today, the Arboretum project is largely inspired by the work we had done upstream with the city of Nanterre and the former owners of the site.