Nîmes - ZAC South Esplanade

 

The south esplanade ZAC (Joint Development Zone) enters in the main urban projects developed by the city of Nimes. The neighborhood is located on the Vistre plain, south from the historical center, is one of the most subjected to floods in France.   

From the outset the city has constituted its public spaces framework around powerful hydraulic structures, the “cadereaux”, whose most famous is the one of the Jardins de la Fontaine. Sir Norman Foster had projected to reopen the Ales cadereau from those gardens to lengthen the avenue Jean Jaures and put Nimes through its countryside, federating the reorganization of the south neighborhoods onto the Vistre plain.
The south esplanade ZAC project is one of the constitutive pieces of this device around the Costières stadium of Vittorio Gregotti.
If part of the urban cutting of the ZAC was realized, only few public spaces have been delivered and particularly a footbridge crossing the Cadereau, allowing to mutualize the stadium parking lots with the implantation of a new clinic.

Avenue Saint-André de Codols: view of the footbridge and the Ales Cadereau with water - dry

Nimes countryside axis – large territorial framework – sequencing public spaces

The footbridge crosses 20 meters of span without intermediary point of support. The central beam is raised in a way to respect the hydraulic section while minimizing impacts on the banks.

The central beam raised shapes a bench and integrates the lighting.

Sponsor
Senim
Situation
Passerelle rue Yves Sigal 30000 NIMES - 43°48’57.9’’N / 4°21’24.1’’E
Partners
Jacques Anziutti, Urbanist - Baduino, BET VRD-structure
Budget
150 000 €
Date
1996