(Rather) wild nature

Some five years ago I made a post, see here, about what was supposed to become the 2012 Olympic Village, if Paris had been chosen (London got it and made it to a success). Instead it was decided that this area, quite close to where I live, should be transformed to a big park, surrounded by housing, offices and the new Palace of Justice. The park is referred to as “Clichy-Batignolles”, or in its full name ”Parc Clichy-Batignolles - Martin Luther King”.

Since my last “report” a lot has bee done and a lot is ongoing. You can see building cranes all over. Much is under construction, but a number of buildings are already ready and occupied. Everything is very ecological with solar panels on the roofs, wind turbines, rainwater harvesting in the park etc…

A new part of the park was recently opened, more or less doubling it space. But maybe first some explanations, as often by me, expressed by some mapping, plans…

Here is a view of the city plan from 1860 and also of the railway shunt yard this used to be, surrounded by a soap factory, by a slaughter house – since long disappeared – and we can see that the defensive Thiers Wall was still there (demolished during the 1920’s – some traces still left and conserved - see again here)….

This is what the area looks like today / is going to be within a few years. We can notice the new addition to the park (ready), a prolonged no. 14 metro line with a stop - “Pont Cardinet”, the future Palace of Justice… and what will remain - the Opera Warehouse for scenic equipment, designed by Charles Garnier (better known for the “Opera Garnier” (see here), the Casino in Monte Carlo (see here) etc…, including a more neglected building on Boulevard Saint Germain (see here)).

The newly opened part of the park offers some playgrounds…

… but also a surprisingly wild looking part (see also top picture).

The park reaches in its north les Boulevards des Maréchaux (Marshals) and the above mentioned Opera Warehouse. As a reference to the old shunt yard, some rails have been conserved.

The older and the newer part of the park, already connected, will later be connected by a building under construction, under which some trains will still be able to pass.

To finish, here are some photos of the part of the park which now has been there for seven years, very popular some sunny spring days.