Restoration of the Parc des Sources and renovation of its surroundings
The renaissance of the Parc des Sources was a key part of getting European-level recognition for this heritage site. Along with ten other spa towns, the City of Vichy submitted a joint bid called the "Great Spas of Europe" to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The City of Vichy’s efforts to manage its heritage, notably through a designated heritage protection area (AVAP), showed it was aware of its many heritage aspects beyond the spa tradition.
Eco+Construire, Construction economist
Les Éclaireurs, Lighting designer
Phyto Conseil, Arborist
Batiserf, Structure engineering firm
INEX, MEP Engineering consultancy
DILUVIAL, Fountain work
Soberco Environnement, Ecologist
SUEZ - SAFEGE, Civil engineering and Infrastructure consultancy, SPMO, Lyon
The park is popularly associated with its architecture, particularly the galleries and the main hall, and so with the Belle Époque. But focusing only on that period overlooks part of its history and the park’s capacity to continue evolving as a living space. Preserving the spirit of the place required us to account for how it changed over time, keep the throughlines, and adapt it to current uses. Fully and idealistically restoring the park to how it looked to early-20th-century spa-goers wouldn't be desirable for heritage reasons. It would amount to pastiche. Its original uses are also outdated, and the original planting isn’t suited to how our climate and notions of plant health have changed. Our design philosophy for restoring the park drew on several complementary strategies, each tailored to different components.