Reinterpreting the contours of Versailles

The Satory plateau, the eighth neighborhood of the city of Versailles, is a large clearing encircled by woods. Bordered to the south by the beginning of the Bièvre valley and its ponds, it overlooks to the north the historical estate of Versailles. Containing a surface area of around three hundred hectares, the area has been marked for a long time by the almost exclusive presence of the military. The planned freeing up in the western section of military terrain by the Ministry of Defense provides an exceptional opportunity of transforming the area, especially within the perspective of creating a  station for the planned Greater Paris metro line 18. The future Satory Ouest Versailles hub will bring together advanced technology companies interested in themes of transportation and mobility of the future, in connection with the automobile centers and various centers related to the Paris-Saclay cluster. Large avenues and large walkways of broad size will create public spaces and pathways for pedestrians and cyclists. These north-south connections will be treated in such a way as to form a succession of horizon lines, marking off a series of variously sized “rooms”, within which the neighborhoods will be set up. This physical framework, by incorporating what already exists, ensures a smooth progression of the overall urban development over time.