St Charles Station Square

designed by Ilex landscape architecture /

Location: France / Marseille / Type: Squares and Plazas / Built: 2009 /
Show on Google Maps / Published on January 8, 2013

Ilex Paysages & Urbanisme: St Charles station is one of Marseille’s major infrastructure facilities. Its dominant location was recently accentuated by the addition of a monumental concourse, which enhanced its scale, image and functions. The design had to take into account the numerous functional constraints that are inevitably associated with such projects. But this has not prevented the treatment of the space from remaining on the human scale. Vegetation has been reintroduced into what was a somewhat arid cityscape, providing shade for a vantage point that looks out over the city, with spaces for rest amid bubbling fountains. The project uses local limestone in a homogeneous manner, conferring sobriety, elegance and distinctiveness on a space characterized by fluidity.

Landscape Architecture: Ilex Paysages & Urbanisme
Project name: Front square of St Charles Station
Project’s address: Gare SNCF de Marseille St-Charles, Esplanade St-Charles Square de Narvik 13001 Marseille FRANCE
Participating offices and function: MA Studio –lighting / Atelier Kern – Architect / Ingerop – engineering
Completion: 2009
Client : Euroméditerranée
Main materials : Limestone
Area: 1.8 ha
Photographer: Eric Saillet.