Aix-en-Provence, France
This master plan for the redevelopment of the old industrial area of Aix-en-Provence concentrates on the east/west extension of the Cours Mirabeau, between the old town and the new town to the southwest. Along this spine, residential, commercial, and cultural facilities include three new main activity centers: a convention center, a casino/hotel, and rail and bus station. The Cours Mirabeau begins at an existing rotary entry plaza with an ornamental foundation surrounded by trees. It is redefined by a circular pergola that leads to the present post office and to a new casino-hotel.
A promenade lined with shops, cafes and office lines a multilevel circular plaza which is located at the midpoint. Here the arc of the Cours Mirabeau continues and terminates the extension in a plaza for the new convention center. Low-rise housing provides perimeter block development to the north with low-rise courtyard housing in the southwest quadrant. New university administrative facilities planned for the triangular area are bounded on three sides by the present post office, the trajectory of the railway and the sweep of the Cours Mirabeau itself. At the western limit of the site the Convention Center, providing sports, recreation and performance spaces, serves as a promenade and an important hub for the entire city.