The Meridian: A 600-meter gardened street connecting the Gare Saint-Jean train station to the Garonne River  

The new Canopia neighborhood connects the Gare Saint-Jean train station to the Garonne River thanks to the Meridian, a new, lushly planted corridor. This 600-meter pedestrian thoroughfare creates a striking gardened street that opens onto the Parc Descas park, bolstering green, landscape infrastructure in the heart of Bordeaux. Installing and connecting vast stretches of fertile ground, where possible, is one of the key goals of our project.

The Meridian’s central garden, most of which is in-ground, features a miniature forest with an uninterrupted canopy. Trees are 20 to 25 meters tall at maturity, with light, airy foliage. They offer cooling, dappled shade while still filtering through plentiful sunlight. Tree crowns are raised to open up the landscape and reveal building facades. Planting composition in the central garden features native species, rounded out with drought-resistant species. A linear planted pool flows through the heart of the Meridian. This central feature of the garden design highlights views along the thoroughfare. Aquatic helophyte and hydrophyte plants brighten the pool.

The vibrant greenery along the ground is amplified by vertical vegetation with varied foliage, weaving together ground floors and building facades. A layer of hardy, local ivy and vine species creates the perfect backdrop for stunning blooms of fragrant and floral species. This vertical vegetation climbs along stainless steel cables affixed to building facades, creating a green and floral canvas reminiscent of downtown neighborhoods in Rome.

Planted surfaces alternate with clay brick surfaces, which are laid in a series of blocks with pathways. Our choice of bricks on sand is a nod to the surrounding Bordelais environment, so heavily shaped by the use of distinctive Bordelais clay bricks known as “cale bordelaise.” The meticulous layout uses varying shades and orientations to create a hardscape collage of brickwork.

Higher up, planted terraces and green roofs, though inaccessible, enrich the layers of greenery below. These spaces, which house drought-resistant thermophilic meadows, help reduce the urban heat island effect and manage rainwater responsibly. The Meridian is a peaceful street, thoughtfully designed for strolling in the gentle shade of its lush canopy.