FRICHES CARCERALES
RIOM
Programme
Repurposing former prison sites into housing, a hotel, a university, a memorial center, and a restaurant
Client
VILLE DE RIOM
Area
4 ha
Scope
Master Plan Design of New Development Projects
Schedule
Competition winner 2023
Environment
Urban renewal and restoration of natural habitats, intensification of land use
Team
Architect and urban planner : SUD architectes Heritage architect : ACA Landscape architect : Jardins d'histoire
The former Cordeliers convent is transformed into a mixed-use neighborhood combining housing, a hotel, a café, and public gardens. The restoration of the historic buildings, the Gothic chapel, and the cloister spaces is accompanied by a landscape redevelopment incorporating walking paths, lookouts, and ecological water management, promoting biodiversity in the heart of the city.
The Mallay Pavilions are being converted into university facilities, a tourist office, and memorial spaces, highlighting historical figures associated with the site. The entire project prioritizes openness, the creation of cool, shaded areas, and continuous pedestrian pathways, while preserving certain prison-like atmospheres as a means of preserving memory and passing on history.
