OZ Nature Urbaine Montpellier

Montpellier, France

Visualization © KCAP

Drawing © KCAP

Architects: KCAP Zürich

Location: Montpellier, France
Year: 2014
Client: S.A.A.M. (Société d’Aménagement de l’Agglomération de Montpellier)
Program: 350 ha masterplan for a mixed urban district with 5.000 residences, parks and gardens, commercial and recreation facilities and 350.000 m2 office space and ‘creative campus’
Role: Urban planner
Participating parties: Ilex Paysage (landscape and public space); OASIIS (sustainability)

OZ Nature Urbaine in Montpellier is a development comprising of a 350 ha of size around the future TGV station to be built in the south of the city. The project is one of the ‘grand projets’ of the Montepellier Agglomeration.

The area will develop in a mixed urban district with 5.000 residences, parks and gardens, commercial and recreation facilities and a business area of European scale with 350,000 m² of offices. As it expands between the city of Montpellier, the airport and the Mediterranean Sea it involves as well the future high-speed railway line LGV between Montpellier and Nimes and the new motorway A9.

In order to direct this development in a sustainable way over a long period, the urban design prescribes a strong underlying framework of public spaces with the landscape as an important base and driver. This framework, that carefully incorporates the new infrastructure, allows for a phased development that is open for change, but that creates a strong identity at the same time.