MVRDV redesign of Europe’s largest urban shopping center breaks ground in France

Lyon Part-Dieu by MVRDV

Construction has kicked off on Lyon Part-Dieu, <a href="https://inhabitat.com/tag/mvrdv/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">MVRDV’s</a> competition-winning design for Europe’s largest downtown shopping center that promises much more than retail therapy. Conceived as an antidote to the existing mall’s car-centered design, the new shopping center will emphasize the public realm with a human scale and pedestrian friendly experience. The <a href="https://inhabitat.com/tag/mall/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">mall</a> will be integrated into the urban fabric and bring in greenery with landscaped areas from the ground floor to the public green roof.

Founded in 1975 in the 3rd arrondissement of Lyon, the 166,000-square-meter Lyon Part-Dieu shopping center is now undergoing a contemporary makeover.

“Lyon Part-Dieu, we draw this facade with big pixels which we hope will give a more human scale not just to the mall, but the whole site,” says Winy Maas, MVRDV co-founder. “In 2020, Lyon Part-Dieu will be both a place for everyday life and shopping, but also culture and relaxation in a reinvented setting.’’

The most eye-catching element of the redesign is the “pixelated” facade where the facade subtly transitions from concrete to glass to open the interior up to the outdoors.

The concrete facade will also be covered in “depolluting coating” to improve outdoor air quality.

While retail will reign king at Lyon Part-Dieu, the new mall also offers plenty for the non-shopper including restaurants, cinema, and public parks.