The La Grande Simone meeting zone project is intended to be a continuation of Place Simon-Valois, but with its own personality. In a way, it's the older sister of the current square. A neighbor both related and distinct, extending the notion of a square to the entire zone. Simone is the soul of the neighborhood. Inclusive, she has a place for everyone. She's protective and concerned about safety. Generous and welcoming by nature, she makes you feel at home.
The area was once occupied by trains, freight and manufacturing, as well as by a large number of pioneer plants growing freely in the old railroad right-of-way. These nomadic plants were among the neighborhood's inhabitants, traveling with the movement of the trains. Milkweed was one of these travelers. For Grande Simone, it symbolizes the new home. It's a dress, an embroidery, a painting, a blossoming, a jewel, a garden both organic and fragile, always migrating and spreading. It's as warm as the cocoon of a great human and plant home at the same time.
(From competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
Design challenge: The jury considers the simplicity and clarity of the concept and the overall vision to be the project's strengths. It appreciates the playful, poetic and sensitive nature of the design, and its potential for appropriation by users. The concept, however, relies heavily on the motif of milkweed leaves, created by combining different colors of paving stones.
Functionality challenge: Although the ground pattern is conceptually appealing, it seems to create certain legibility issues, especially in view of the universal accessibility principles of pedestrian and shared streets.
Cohesion challenge: The proposed concept ties in well with adjacent developments and successfully enhances those of Place Simon-Valois. On the other hand, the jury points to the multiplicity of treatments used to address the various interventions (e.g., furniture and lighting), which do not encourage the creation of a strong core and entity.
Aesthetic and visual challenge: The jury was won over by the elegant, delicate chromatic touch. However, it notes that while this touch is relevant in summer, it is much less visible and effective in winter.
Appropriation and versatility challenge: The jury sees the proposed layouts as having great potential for appropriation by the public. The vast space allows for a multitude of uses, making it easy to imagine both everyday use and large-scale events.
Evolution of the proposal: The jury would have liked to see greater refinement of the proposal, as well as greater application of the comments it had made during the first stage of the competition. The jury noted that no work had been done on the scale of the motif, which still seems difficult to read at pedestrian level.
Appropriateness and effectiveness of spatial, formal, material and technical choices: The jury underlines the appropriateness and relevance of certain spatial and formal choices. It did, however, question a number of material choices, in particular the appearance of the furniture and the mass-tinted pink concrete paving due to its durability and the contrast between the different tones.
Feasibility and cost compliance: The jury sees this proposal as a simple and feasible project. However, there are still too many unresolved technical and design issues, and too few details.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
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