It’s called EuropaCity and it seems to be a complete secret. Strange, especially given the project’s budget of 3.1 billion euros and that it will be at the gates of Paris. The new structure is said to sit somewhere between a shopping center and a vision of the urban future.
Nearly 800,000 square meters are to be reinterpreted with a mix of services, shopping, entertainment, and cultural activities more akin to the ideal city than a simple shopping center. The planning, recently re-presented by Bjarke Ingels to showcase the quality and strengths of such a large project has drawn plenty of criticism from local businesses who risk being outed by the mega structure. Between hotels and water parks, it’s set to be the biggest commercial complex in Europe.
The center space, to be covered in greenery, will be cultivated entirely by renewable sources. The most optimistic estimates say the project will create 12,000 jobs and an opportunity for the region to develop just 15 km outside of Paris.
How will visitors reach the center? The new metro stop will allow visitors to arrive on site, not far from the Charles de Gaulle airport.
8 principal structures are sprawled across the enormous commercial center, selected through international competitions (winners were only recently announced). Among these are some big pieces from international architecture, along with a few new entries.
Convincing the committee, which judged also based on the guidelines provided by the Belgian studio BIG, was an Italian winner, Atelier Alfonso Femia, designing a three star hotel.
EuropaCity isn’t looking to become the next big luxury project, but rather to attract businesspeople, families, locals, and tourists alike. A meeting point, a small village focused on culture (thanks also to the concert hall by Hérault Arnod and the cultural cinema center by UNStudio), entertainment (like the circus by Clément Blanchet and the water park by Chabanne Architecte), and work spaces — from congressional centers to hotels. The plan also includes an urban garden, which will serve the restaurants with locally sourced products.
The road is long, but given the deadline of 2024, the definitive approval of the new metro line remains an important piece to the puzzle.
Megalomania or new Parisian icon? Only time will tell.
