Sarcelles: urban planning students discover the Grand Ensemble

Place de France inspired by Place Saint-Marc in Venice, buildings built with the stone of Saint-Maximin (Oise), the same stone used to build the castle of Chantilly (Oise) or Place des Vosges in Paris, references to the architecture of Le Corbusier … That too is Sarcelles. If the students of the Master II of urban planning of the University of Paris-Ouest-Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine) doubted the rich heritage of the city, the members of the collective “Made in Sarcelles” showed them the value of this – this. On Tuesday they organized with their teacher, sociologist-urban planner Marie-Hélène Bacqué, a visit to the Grand Ensemble, one of the first made in France, after the call of the abbot Pierre, in February 1954.

“Our goal is to enhance our city, show its potential and rich heritage. These students are prone to becoming urban planners. What we do there could have an impact on their work, ”explains Nabil Koskossi, co-founder of the Made in Sarcelles collective, inexhaustible on the history of the Grand Ensemble. “This new city was designed by architect Jacques-Henri Labordette as a whole with buildings, streets, tree plantations, schools, neighborhood shopping centers,” he explains. With 12,300 housing units, or 40,000 inhabitants, behind the already existing municipality of 8,000 inhabitants, it concentrates 65% of the population on 20% of the municipal area. “It is truly a mosaic city of cultures, languages ​​with more than 90 nationalities represented,” says Frédéric Meynard, Deputy Director General for Planning and Politics.

“The life span of social housing is now much shorter than it started”

During their guided tour, students wonder about the sufficiency of parking spaces, the existence of cycle paths, they are surprised by the tranquility of the Kennedy Park, an island of freshness ahead of time, or even the Beaver Houses, that of the pioneers of the neighborhood, which overlook buildings, some of which have been intelligently renovated and expanded without upsetting the building, discover the state of decay of the condominiums. “We recognize them with badly maintained shutters,” explains Nabil.

They note the aberration of some demolitions and reconstructions. Some freestone buildings were destroyed in favor of lower quality buildings. “Today we are unable to build such large, bright and quality housing. It is a real problem that the planners have pointed out ”, emphasizes Marie-Hélène Bacqué. “The lifespan of social housing today is much shorter than that built at the beginning,” adds Nabil Koskossi.

“We must not repeat the same mistakes”

An operation that seems to have seduced the students. “There is a lot of apprehension when you hear about Sarcelles, but on the spot it is absolutely not like that”, analyzes Camélia, student of the master’s degree II urban planning and development. “We all have this negative image of large residential complexes. We tell ourselves that it is ugly and that we must not reproduce the same mistakes, confides Gaëlle, a student too. There we are shown something else, another way of doing things with things that work and others that don’t. There may be keys to be found here in what exists. I saw a mini Central Park and I wasn’t expecting it. “

With their other companions, they will have the opportunity to act. “Seven students will work for four months on the rehabilitation and embellishment of the upper part of the Grand Ensemble, of the entrance to the city from the avenue du 8 mai 1945, of the degraded condominiums. For our students, it is a way to get directly into the operational part ”, explains Marie-Hélène Bacqué.

The collective “Made in Sarcelles” will continue to gather its staff of pilgrims to promote the city. He plans to arrange further visits. In the meantime, on 11 October, he will participate in an exhibition at the house of architecture in Marseille (Bouches du Rhône). “We assume this Sarcellonese chauvinism in the same way as Marseille”, dissolved with a big smile Nabil.