A memorial garden for the victims of the November 13, 2015, Paris attacks

The memorial garden in the Place Saint-Gervais square offers a balance between hardscape and softscape, in a space integrating memorial gatherings and daily life (wandering, resting).

Two side pathways lined with plane trees frame a hardscape central surface, paved in polished black asphalt speckled with white aggregate. This large, uniform rectangle, stretching from one side of the square to the other, is punctuated with symbolic features: the water, the stone, the garden, the Olive Tree, the Elm of Justice, and the memorial plaque.

A shallow, abstract-shaped reflecting pool stretches across the center of the square. A rough stone of unpolished granite rises from the pool, like a small island. Water flows gently from channels tunneled through the stone, transforming it into a fountain. The names of each victim are carved into the stone’s surface. The garden springs from the water.

Tufts of lush flowering herbs and grasses bloom from the asphalt. Thin, flexible stems of varying heights dance in the wind, each topped with a small red light: one bright spot for each victim. In the middle of these tall grasses stands the squat and gnarled Olive Tree of Remembrance. A symbol of peace, the tree represents hope for a peaceful coexistence for all.

At the foot of the church, the Elm of Justice is reflected in the water. This age-old pastoral tree evokes the history and symbolic weight of this square in the heart of Paris. The mighty tree has seen farmers come to pay their rent and judges issue their rulings after mass, all in the shade of its generous canopy. The base of the tree descends into a surface of sandstone pavers identical to those of the church courtyard, creating visual continuity with the surrounding Marais neighborhood.

A commemorative round table, encircled with a cast-iron bench, is a reminder of the outpouring of community in the aftermath, right from the night of November 13. The table and bench are the entryway into the square, and serve as a starting point for educational visits.

Typical, Davioud-style street furniture, characteristic of Parisian public spaces, parks, and gardens, is interspersed throughout the rows of plane trees, among the lushly planted, open tree beds.

This unifying space, with its simple composition, connects memory and daily life, while respecting the heritage of the surrounding built environment (including the Église Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais church and the Caserne Lobau and Caserne Napoléon compounds).