Viaduc des Arts

Viaduc des Arts
Viaduc des Arts
	Location within France
General information
Type	Infrastructure rehabilitation
Location	Paris 12th Arrondissement
Address	1-129 Avenue Daumesnil
Country	France
Coordinates	48°50′48″N 2°22′37″E / 48.8467°N 2.3769°ECoordinates: 48°50′48″N 2°22′37″E / 48.8467°N 2.3769°E
Construction started	1990
Opened	1994
Design and construction
Architect	Patrick Berger

The Viaduc des Arts is a converted train line located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris which is now both a string of workshops for highly skilled artisans and, on the top level, a linear park. It was, formerly, the “Viaduc de Bastille,” for the trains of the Paris-Bastille-Vincennes line.

This repurposing project was designed by the architect Patrick Berger under the direction of the SEMAEST (Société d’Economie Mixte d’Aménagement de l’EST de Paris). ^[1]

The Promenade Plantée is a linear park built on top of the Viaduc. The vaults of the Viaduc now host the workshops of artisans working in such diverse areas as glass blowing, furniture manufacturing and jewellery making, thereby preserving the 12th arrondissement’s tradition of skilled craftsmanship.^[2]

History[]

The Vincennes Train Station at Place de la Bastille.

In 1853, the private company “Société de Chemin de Fer Paris Strasbourg” was authorised to build a train line crossing Paris 12th arrondissement from Bastille to , passing through Vincennes. The project required massive construction work, including tunnels and crossings.

A train on the Viaduc, at the level of avenue Ledru Rollin, in the late 19th century.

The “Viaduc de la Bastille” — a 1,5 km long viaduct consisting of 64 vaults— was a major part of the overall project. The brick and stone construction is about 10 meters high.

The train line was opened in 1859. It ceased to operate in 1969 after the creation of the RER A regional transport line, into which a part of the original line was integrated. The Paris-Vincennes stretch was completely abandoned (except for the merchandise train station at Reuilly).

In 1979, the (Atelier Parisien d’Urbanisme) was commissioned to rethink the use of the viaduct that follows the and the Along with the choice of replacing the Bastille Station with a new Opera house (Opera Bastille), two options were considered:

Demolish the viaduct and construct new buildings along its route.
Re-purpose the railroad into a public park, and make use of the space under the vaults as well as of the dilapidated plots neighbouring the viaduct.

Passage Hennel, an open vault for pedestrians.

The presence of well maintained buildings directly behind the viaduct undermined the attractiveness of the first option. The second option was favoured because the vaults offered a much more attractive façade for the Avenue Daumesnil and were useful and unusual spaces is their own right.

In 1983, the plan for the “Promenade Plantée” linking Place de la Bastille to Bois de Vincennes constituted one of the most important projects for the revitalization of the Eastern neighbourhoods of Paris. The project was designed by landscape architect Jacques Vergely and architect Philippe Mathieux.

Frontal view of the Viaduc.

In 1988, the proposition of the architect Patrick Berger was chosen for the reconversion of the arcades into a strip of workshops, and the first part of the promenade plantée (from Rue Picpus to Rue Michel Bizot) was opened one year later. The occupation of the vaults by artisans started in 1994 and was completed in 1997.^[3]

The design of the rehabilitation project consisted mainly of cleaning the viaduct and closing the vaults with glass walls on their two sides. The central parts of the arches were cleared out in order to add relief in the façade and to let the shadow underline the curved shape.^[4] This allowed the 64 vaults (whose sizes vary between 150 and 460 m²) to be converted into a strip of workshops and cafés.^[3]