Snøhetta
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Historic transformation project for Studio Paris

Snøhetta chosen for the Place de la Concorde Competition

We are delighted to have been selected as one of five teams to propose a plan for the redevelopment of the Place de la Concorde in Paris. The historic venue, recently the main stage for several highlights during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, is a historic monument, the city's largest square, and symbol of Paris' major developments in the 18th and 19th century.

Alongside Chatillon Architectes, Snøhetta is working on a proposal adressing the challenges facing this legendary Parisian square. Surrounded by landmarks and public spaces, the heritage value of Place de la Concorde is both recognised and protected. Seeking to regain its appeal and making the square more availaible to the public, the central ambition of the project is to re-establish the link between Avenue des Champs-Elysées and the Tuileries Gardens. By reducing traffic and restoring unused space, like old ditches and flowerbeds, the renovated square will once again favor pedestrians over motorized vehicles. 

The team constis of Chatillon Architectes, chief architect of historic monumentsand consortium lead, Louis Benech, landscape architect, and Snøhetta as the urban planner. 

The main objectives for the transformation project is:

  • Making the largest square in Paris more accessible, encouraging pedestrian activity, and creating a more peaceful and quiet public space in the heart of Paris.
  • Combating the heat island, cooling the square, and encouraging ecological continuity.
  • Reconnecting with the square's floral heritage, history, and iconic views.
  • Taking Place de la Concorde's role as a meeting place into account.
  • Offering a new experience and new usages

While the redevelopment of Place de la Concorde will build on its historical evolution to best reveal traces of its past, it will also have to respond to the climatic challenges of our century. In order to integrate both heritage issues and restore the splendour and floral history of the square, close collaboration with the Conservation Régionale des Monuments Historiques (CRMH) will be necessary.

The jury, chaired by the Mayor of Paris and the Ministry of Culture, will announce the final winner in the first half of 2025.