Parc départemental de la Plage Bleue

previous state

The Plage Bleue, located on the big alluvial plain of the River Marne and the River Seine, is the result of the continuous extraction of sand for over a century. The exploitation of the site, which intensified between 1930 and 1960, changed the landscape decisively. It was now characterised by the appearance of pools of water supplied by the acquifer very close to the natural soil deposit.

This series of small areas of water gradually disappeared due to the dumping of earth on the site. In 1979, the extraction of sand ceased. It was in 1987, when the agreement signed between the department of the Val-de-Marne, the municipality of Valento, the SNCF and the developers of the site allowed the park to be transferred to the department at no cost. In return, the developers would bring in 1.5 million cubic metres of excavated earth. These elements, which brought about a rapid change in the topography of the landscape, were decisive in shaping the park

aim of the intervention

To bring back to life the old Plage Bleue, which had been completely ruined by the intensive explotation of the sand which formed its natural land surface. The site was still a recreational space in the sixties. From the outset, the idea for the park was part of the regional project to create a green corridor across the industrial plain of Créteil-Valenton; the Parc de la Plage Bleue was to be one of its basic elements. This policy was decisive in equipping a site on the Parisian periphery with green spaces: a site on which major infrastructures and industries had left a deep imprint.

The park was to improve the urbanised landscape around it (it is surrounded by a series of SNCF railway lines; a track for the high-speed train, theTGV; a power station; as well as an industrial estate in the process of being built) by using a design based on a strong geometric composition which would provide a point of reference for a peri-urban site which had lost its identity completely.

description

The challenge of the project, with the regard to the landscape, involved the precise definition of the framework of the park, which needed to be the direct result of major work consisting of the movement of earth, such as excavating, filling in, terracing and levelling the zone where the sand used to be extracted. These tasks did not only involve the movement of cubic metres of earth, but genuine earthworks as well, with often complex geometric shapes with a variety of functions.

This is clearly seen in the first section of the park, a succession of moulded and sculpted terraced surfaces which define a strong geometry and contain different types of planting. These terraces act as points of reference with regard to the landscape of infrastructures and buildings around the park. The highest point is the hill --the "Mont", a privileged belvedere of 20 m, which links the park to its distant limits.

A lake of 10 ha. has formed in the centre of the park, a witness to the former sand-extraction zone. A variety of areas linked to the water follow in succession along its surface, forming unusual areas: the water garden where dykes and walkways allow close access to the aquatic plants; a beach of sand and gravel reminiscent of the old quarry and where a series of chaises longues has been installed as furniture; the islands: small gardens which float on the water, and the plateau which forms a balcony over the water with its paths planted with fruit trees.

These aquatic areas comprise a theme garden and feature flora and fauna of humid climes which have a clear educational purpose, aimed at the schoolchildren in the Val-de-Marne.

The number of paths which provide access to the different sectors of the park have been created using large triangular slabs of prefabricated cement. There are also a number of play and activity areas for younger visitors and boats are available in the area of the lake.

assessment

The most outstanding feature of the park is its capacity to create an artifical natural environment and topography in a place changed by excavation and the dumping of poor- quality materials. The visitor is surprised by the quality and originality of the intervention, the density of the planted areas and the diversity of landscapes.

The carefully planned layout of the project, the monumental scale of the movement of land, mean the park can stand up to a urban and industrial expansion unprecedented on this alluvial plane in the Val-de-Marne.

The involvement of the inhabitants in the area has led them to take part in the running of the park. The Association de la Pêche de la Plage Bleue à Valenton, for instance, is responsible for monitoring the fish in the park. It also carries out the continuous environmental protection of the water, with regular studies and checks. The third phase of the park has yet to be built; it is hoped that the project will eventually be carried out, as it would play a fundamental role in linking the park to the city.