Touring Plaine Commune

5 May 2017 - Events - France

Plaine Commune, a district just outside Paris, is changing fast. And four VINCI Group projects there show you how.

VINCI is at the centre of the challenges facing the city of the future, and involved in the conversation about urban transformation, inter alia through La Fabrique de la Cité, its in-house think-tank. And it is tackling those challenges and making the transformation happen in Plaine Commune, a nine-town community and part of the Grand Paris programme. The Group is leading Rêve de scènes urbaines (“dreams of urban scenes”, an industrial demonstrator for sustainable cities) as part of a joint venture between public- and private-sector players to test trailblazing solutions, promote urban innovation and showcase French savoir-faire.

1/ Cité du Cinéma
VINCI teamed up with Plaine Commune and filmmaker Luc Besson at every stage in his project – financing, property development, construction and multi-technical maintenance. The result, the Cité du Cinéma, has been dubbed Hollywood sur Seine and is the first project endorsed by the Grand Paris programme. It is also one of Plaine Commune’s highlights, and houses half of France’s filmmaking capabilities.

2/ Universeine eco-district VINCI Immobilier is leading Universeine, a 360° urban project on the Seine’s banks in Saint Denis catering to local businesses’ requirements. It is certified to meet stringent environmental standards, the architecture is remarkable, and the project underscores the nearby early 20th century industrial heritage. The complexes (family housing, student housing, offices and shops) are peppered among 3.8 hectares of parks and gardens that only pedestrians, cyclists and buses can access.

3/ SFR’s Campus
SFR’s head office was a brownfield project. It is now a town in the town, meets up-to-the-minute energy efficiency standards and is packed with the latest digital technology. The 134,000 sq. metres of offices, shops, gardens and sports facilities were designed by architect Jean-Paul Viguier, VINCI Immobilier developed the complex, and a consortium of VINCI Construction and VINCI Energies companies built it.

4/ Veolia’s “V”
Veolia’s new V-shaped head office (whence its name) skirting Canal Saint Denis in Aubervilliers was designed by architect Dietmar Feichtinger. VINCI Construction France handed over this 45,000 sq. metre office complex in autumn 2016, 2,000 people are now working in it, and its bioclimatic design has put its energy consumption 40% below the requirements in France’s 2012 regulation on heating.

This trail through a district undergoing rapid and radical redevelopment is one of the tours on the programme for individual shareholders, organised by VINCI’s Shareholders’ Club.