Gare d'Austerlitz train station is located between the historic Latin Quarter and the western entrance to the Parisian Left Bank. Lacking an urban facade, this strategic communication junction has until present been in an enclave position within the city. Redeveloping the surroundings of the station is clearly a major consideration for this historic neighborhood experiencing rapid change.

On the side facing the Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, our proposal removes the side paths, railings, and ornamental trident that currently obscures the historic monument from the view of the Hospital boulevard. The aim is to create a major space compatible with the scale of the neighborhood and the nearby Jardin des Plantes. A spacious lawn, framed by the new unified facade of the train station, the historic facade of the hospital, and the overhead metro, will be made accessible to the public. It will be interspersed with the large trees already present, while the monumental hospital gate will be maintained.

On the side facing the Seine river, the first improvements were completed in 2014, already reconfiguring the public space. The renovated courtyard on the Seine side is reserved for taxis and pedestrians, and planted with a significant layer of trees. Along the ground, minimalist signage efficiently organizes the various modes of soft and motorized transport, without impinging on the readability and unity of the site. A large three hundred meter long incline connects Pierre Mendès-France Avenue with the Austerlitz Quay by means of a new square.