info:
Cooperation: EGIS Grand Est
Facility: EGIS Grand Est
Accumulation: LTA
Exterior: AC&T
Illumination: 8/18
Publication: GA JAPAN 190 2024/09-10 , GA DOCUMENT 137 INTERNATIONAL 2016 , Nikkei Architecture 2016/6/23 No.1074 , Nikkei Architecture 2015/05/25 No.1048
Photography: Michel Denance
ARCHITECTURE
Saint Denis Pleyel Station: Redefining Urban Connectivity with Green Design
08 Jan 2025
The Saint Denis Pleyel Station, a masterstroke by Kengo Kuma and Associates, represents a harmonious blend of urban infrastructure and environmental sustainability. Designed as part of the ambitious Grand Paris Express project initiated in 2007, the station aims to alleviate central Paris's congestion and environmental strain with a new, ring-shaped subway network. Serving as the northern hub of the project, the station goes beyond being a transit space to become a community focal point.
Unlike conventional concrete and steel stations, Saint Denis Pleyel Station embodies the concept of a "green station." Its design features a rooftop garden that connects divided neighborhoods and creates a public space for the community. A gentle ramp links the rooftop greenspace to the ground, redefining the station as an open, inclusive urban park that bridges over the railroad lines separating the northern communities from central Paris.
The architectural highlight of the station is its 30-meter-deep wooden atrium, which not only houses access to four metro lines but also reconnects the earth to the sky. This soft, warm space is clad entirely in oak, contrasting sharply with the harsh materials of traditional urban transport hubs. Within the atrium, artist Prune Nourry’s installation of 108 Venus statues evokes themes of nurturing and earth connection, further elevating the space into an artful experience.
The wooden curtain walls wrapping the structure emphasize warmth and sustainability, while the station's thoughtful integration into the surrounding environment ensures it functions as a green bridge—physically and symbolically.
Saint Denis Pleyel Station isn’t just an architectural marvel; it’s a vision of what urban infrastructure can be—a connector, a park, and a sanctuary.
Tags:
Saint Denis Pleyel Station, Kengo Kuma and Associates, Grand Paris Express, green station design, sustainable architecture, Paris subway project, rooftop garden, wooden atrium, urban connectivity, public space design
