Letter from Bordeaux: we chart the new wave of architecture projects shaping the French city
The busy French port of Bordeaux is in a state of transformation. A place of cultural exchange for more than 2,000 years, the city centre has been listed by UNESCO as 'an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble, created in the Age of Enlightenment', based on past eras' innovations. When mayor Alain Juppé kick started a - currently ongoing - urban renaissance in 1996, he was aiming to respect this glorious past, but look firmly towards the city's future, bringing innovation back in its heart.
Until recently, urban development was mostly limited to the left bank of the river Garonne, locking the city into one-sided growth. Known as 'the Port of the Moon' for its crescent-like shape, the city will, by 2030, complete its upgrade to 'full moon' and attract up to 100,000 new residents (about 50,000 new residents have already moved here in the last five years). Large parts of the city are being 'reactivated' and public spaces and connections improved; a new TGV line is also coming to town, strategically reducing the distance between Bordeaux and Paris to a mere two hours.
See the architecture projects reshaping Bordeaux
At the moment, across the city, a range of large-scale projects, including a handful of new districts emerging in former industrial areas, is currently in design, planning or construction. Key French and international practices are involved to mastermind entire neighbourhoods or create landmark buildings. Contributors include BIG, Herzog & de Meuron, Youssef Tohmé, Michel Desvigne, Rudy Ricciotti, MVRDV and OMA. The latter has been working on two different masterplans in the city; one is a major new urban development in the south, based on the expansion of the local tram system, and the other is around 50,000 new housing units in the city.
One of the key aims is to avoid anonymous suburbs and encourage the creation of new urban centres that are well connected and fully equipped to serve both the existing and the newly born neighbourhoods around them. The task of bringing in modernity while respecting heritage required some serious investigation into Bordeaux's DNA, which is defined by the city's two distinct banks and the juxtaposition of man-made environments and nature within them. Here we visit some of the projects set to change the face of Bordeaux.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Paolo Roversi’s poetic, timeless fashion photography celebrated in Paris exhibition
’Paolo Roversi’ at Paris’ Palais Galliera is the first large-scale exhibition of the seminal fashion photographer’s work in his home city. Curator Sylvie Lécallier tells Wallpaper* the story behind the landmark display
By Jack Moss Published
-
Molly Goddard on creating a community of contemporary brides
As new Molly Goddard bridal wear is released, the designer talks about creating romantic but real wedding dresses, while three recent brides tell the stories behind their own Goddard gowns
By Jack Moss Published
-
Palazzo Roma embodies the heritage of Roman noblesse
Palazzo Roma, part of the Shedir Collection, boasts eclectic and eccentric interiors by Giampiero Panepinto
By Luke Abrahams Published
-
Look inside Sixth&Blanco, Herzog & de Meuron’s first project in Texas
Step inside Sixth&Blanco by Herzog & de Meuron, as the Swiss studio reveals interior images of its first ever Texas design, a forward-thinking, sustainable and mixed-use scheme
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Herzog & de Meuron’s SIP Main Campus weaves together nature and sculptural concrete
SIP Main Campus, a new workspace by Herzog & de Meuron, completes on the Swiss-French border
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Royal Academy’s Herzog & de Meuron show in London spotlights architecture for care
The Royal Academy of Arts launches its Herzog & de Meuron exhibition in London; we speak to them about the show, their approach to healthcare architecture and caring, and their rich body of work
By Amah-Rose Mcknight Abrams Published
-
Herzog & de Meuron and Piet Oudolf unveil Philadelphia’s Calder Gardens design
Herzog & de Meuron and Piet Oudolf's design for the new Calder Gardens in downtown Philadelphia is set to be a tranquil tribute to artist Alexander Calder
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
AstraZeneca’s Discovery Centre is ‘a landscape of different situations’
Tour AstraZeneca's brand new research and development hub, The Discovery Centre, designed by Herzog & de Meuron in Cambridge, UK
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
SongEun Art & Cultural Foundation marks Herzog & de Meuron’s South Korean debut
Herzog & de Meuron’s South Korean debut is a triangular triumph for ST International and its SongEun Art & Cultural Foundation in Seoul
By Andy St Louis Published
-
Herzog & de Meuron returns to Duisburg for MKM Museum Küppersmühle extension
Tour the new extension at the MKM Museum Küppersmühle in Duisburg, Germany, a cultural hub courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
Step inside One Park Drive, Herzog & de Meuron’s first UK residential tower
We visit One Park Drive in Canary Wharf, Herzog & de Meuron’s new London completion, and the studio's very first residential high-rise in the UK
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated