ALEXANDRA DAVID-NEEL GARDEN

The RER right-of-way forms part of Saint-Mandé’s urban fabric as a virtual avenue, an axis of composition around which the town has been organized. Since the 19th century, this avenue-like character has suggested both a thoroughfare and a promenade, and today it has taken on its full reality thanks to the covering of the railroad line, which has encouraged its transformation. It’s not just a slab development, but a façade-to-façade treatment, in other words, a new public space in the city.

Alexandra David-Neel, the famous explorer originally from St Mandé, and the proximity of the IGN, led us to focus on the themes of travel and exploration, which strongly influence the culture of the town of Saint-Mandé.