Côte d’Or EsplanadeMaurepas (78)

The downtown area of Maurepas was entirely imagined in 1973 during the creation of the new town of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. It was built over an underground aqueduct dating from the 17th century that supplies the Versailles park.

This uniqueness creates a raised city center, elevated like a slab, as urban planning in the second half of the 20th century often produced, where businesses are located, and a lower, functional city consisting of a road network, a parking lot with a gas station, and the town hall.

The materiality of the project reveals these different surfaces and layers of history. A geometric paving pattern qualifies the upper roadway, in front of the businesses, with a motif that evokes the marble court of Versailles. By contrast, at the natural ground level, split granite paving is used. Generous plantings contribute to the harmony of the space.