The right bank of the Garonne River, long occupied by factories that are gradually changing and moving away, is quite different from the left bank, which features the historic city and the former port of Bordeaux. Today, with the disappearance of the port, including its fences and warehouses, and with the sweeping changes to its quays, the eye stretches much further, toward the right bank, which is itself in the process of transformation. Our proposal creates here a new, vegetative horizon, closely linked to the river and its bed.

The process of transformation takes into account the concept of time. The project involves a set of actions based on, and playing upon, the existing parcels, the industrial areas, the abandoned parking lots, and the roads. The land is gradually acquired by the City and then planted successively. The proposal for the landscape consists of building up the forest, which necessarily bears the mark of time.

The role of the management of the works is quite unusual, and its missions, defined gradually and in constant dialogue with the City and its departments, are multiple, complex, and sensitive. Because of the size of the project and the time necessary for its completion, only a public structure could ensure completion. The resulting aesthetic is rather “rustic,” with an economy of means brought about by these constraints.

The project was approved and included in the regulations of the City. Buildable land was reclassified and is now intended to accommodate parks. Studies are underway to design neighborhoods that will be set up adjacent to the parks.