FRICHES CARCERALES

The Riom prison brownfields project is part of the redevelopment of two major heritage sites: the former Pavillons Mallay detention center (19th century) and the former Cordeliers convent, which was converted into a prison in the 19th century. These listed sites, totaling over 16,000 m², embody a rich historical layering that spans medieval heritage, prison architecture, and contemporary urban challenges.

The project proposes a comprehensive reinterpretation of these sites to open them up and reintegrate them into the city. It bridges memory and modernity through a strategy of opening up the enclosures, creating public pathways, and highlighting existing heritage qualities.

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.