La Grande Mosaique, MVRDV seleccionado para transformar 600ha en Caen, Normandía

MVRDV amplió el alcance de la transformación de la zona más allá de los límites geográficos de la península, abarcando también las áreas adyacentes. El plan resultante, titulado ‘La Grande Mosaique’, se basa en gran medida en las estructuras existentes proponiendo de esta manera un urbanismo realista y amable. Un gran número de pequeñas pero bien coordinadas intervenciones resultan en un gigantesco mosaico que logra nuevas cualidades a escala urbana. Los proyectos propuestos son: la transformación de las antiguas fábricas en un conjunto de jardines, un plan de movilidad altamente conectado basado principalmente en el tráfico «suave», una serie de nuevos puentes peatonales, la nueva reconstrucción del centro de la ciudad -que había sido restaurada después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial- y una mejorada conexión con el mar. Este objetivo, titulado «Caen la Mer ‘, es el símbolo de un plan que se define por pequeñas intervenciones que a su vez resultan en una visión a gran escala.

El proyecto se llevará a cabo a lo largo de más de una década. Sin embargo, ya se han iniciado una serie de otros proyectos en Presqu’ile, como la nueva Biblioteca Multimedia (OMA) y un Tribunal Superior Regional (BE Hauvette y Pierre Champenois).

En este proyecto, MVRDV colaboró con el arquitecto Diagram, los planificadores urbanos Pro Developpement, el arquitecto del paisaje Territoires, la consultora de ingeniería y sostenibilidad IOSIS y el consultor de estrategia urbana Philippe Cabane.

Original Text in English

SPLA, the public development agency for the transformation of the Presqu’ile de Caen, has chosen MVRDV out of 3 competitors to transform the 600ha area consisting of former industry and ports. The MVRDV plan envisions the future of Caen Presqu’ile as a collection of gardens surrounded by intensified urban area. It envisions Caen as attractive city with a connection to the sea whilst interventions improve landscape, environment, mobility and connections. The project is planned to last ten years or longer.

MVRDV extended the scope by widening the transformation area beyond the geographic boundaries of the peninsula and sketching a vision also for the adjacent areas. The resulting plan titled ‘La Grande Mosaique’ is strongly based on the existing structures and foresees in realistic, careful and friendly urbanism. A large number of small yet well coordinated interventions results in a gigantic mosaic which creates new qualities on an urban scale. Projects proposed are: Transformation of former factories into a collection of gardens, a highly connected mobility plan based largely on ‘soft’ traffic, a number of new pedestrian bridges, a re-reconstruction of the city centre which was rebuilt after the Second World War in a rush and an improved connection to the sea. This ambition, titled ‘Caen la Mer’ is symbolic for the plan which is defined by the small scale interventions that result in a large scale structure vision.

Caen Presqu’ile starts near the historical centre of Caen and follows the valley of the Orne which connects the city to the sea, not far from the D-day beaches. The MVRDV plan for the 550 ha brown fields is a structure vision extending over the city of Caen and the towns of Mondeville and Hérouville Saint Clair. The transformation carries the ambition to fundamentally enhance attractiveness of Greater Caen. The project will take over a decade yet a number of projects for the Presqu’ile has already been started, such as the new multimedia Library (OMA) and a regional High Court (BE Hauvette and Pierre Champenois).

“We have unanimously chosen the most impressive plan” said Philippe Duron, mayor of Caen, who said that the jury liked the “fresh view” on urbanism. MVRDV collaborated with co-architect Diagram, Pro Developpement urban programmers, landscape architect Territoires, sustainability and engineering consultant IOSIS and urban strategist Philippe Cabane. The MVRDV team won the competition from François Leclerq with JDS and Djamel Klouche with AUC/SLETH.