Paris La Défense selects the consortium led by RSHP for the urban and public space project management of the Rives Défense project

According to Pierre-Yves Guice, Director General of Paris La Défense: “We received around thirty high-quality applications for this consultation, including many from international agencies. The interest in the subject demonstrates the exceptional nature of this space and reflects our ambitions for it. We chose a Franco-British consortium, whose complementary expertise, quality of references, and bold vision for the site's regeneration were decisive factors in our decision.”

A group of Franco-British experts

• RSHP Architects and Urban Planners (Pritzker Prize): lead urban planner and coordinator of the group responsible for the overall vision and architectural and urban coherence.

Reference projects: Les Messageries Paris Gare de Lyon, Barangaroo Peninsula in Sydney, Madrid Nuevo Norte Guide Plan.

• SOIL Workshop: co-urban planner, specialist in uses, animation, flows, universal accessibility.

Reference projects: La Défense 2050, Bordeaux Brazza, Bordeaux Metropolitan Gates.

• Altitude 35: landscape architect

Reference projects: Esplanade of EPFL in Lausanne, Parc de la Bouloie in Besançon, science city of Lille.

• ARCADIS: Engineering and Civil Engineering Firm

Reference projects: La Défense esplanade park, Grand Paris Express, redevelopment of Porte de la Chapelle.

• Atelier Franck Boutté (Grand Prix de l'Urbanisme): Environmental consulting firm supporting the sustainable transformation of the district (environmental, bioclimatic and carbon strategy).

Reference projects: Surroundings of Notre-Dame de Paris, Maine-Montparnasse, Quartier des Pistes in Clermont-Ferrand.

• Urban Eco (EU): BE specializing in urban ecology supporting the biodiversity of the project (botanist, faunalist, naturalist, environmentalist, agronomist…).

Reference projects: Biodiversity Atlas of Greater Paris Metropolis, Nature Strategy of Paris La Défense, ecological park of the Garonne Eiffel ZAC in Bordeaux.

• Mobius: BE specializing in reuse

Reference projects: Saint Vincent de Paul urban development zone in Paris, Ivry-Confluences urban development zone, Pleyel district.

According to Stephen Barrett, Director of RSHP, lead architect and urban planner: “Rives Défense must rediscover its original connection with the Seine: the river is no longer a mere edge, it becomes the living foundation of the district, capable of giving it a strong identity open to the metropolis. We envision this transformation as a major urban project building upon what already exists, carried out step by step with all stakeholders in the area, in an ambitious co-construction approach serving a shared and sustainable vision.”

According to Madeleine Masse, Founder of Atelier SOIL, architect and urban planner: “Rives Défense embodies all the qualities of the neighborhood of tomorrow: an exceptional landscape with breathtaking views of Paris, unparalleled metropolitan accessibility, entirely pedestrianized public spaces, a renewed neighborhood center, and restorative bioclimatic conditions for all users. Our ambition is to reveal these exceptional qualities to make it an island rooted in its territory, on a human scale, and open to the world.”

Rives Défense, a collective approach

For the first time in La Défense, on the scale of an entire district, a partnership method closely associating public and private actors has been put in place.

The objective of this unprecedented cooperative framework is to create a global dynamic to promote synergies and ripple effects.

Thus, at the beginning of 2025, a "flash workshop" organised by the Cergy Workshops brought together 20 experts from around the world to enrich discussions and lay the groundwork for the project management consultation.

In parallel, another forward-looking and participatory approach was also carried out across the entire business district, involving Paris La Défense, local authorities, the State and private operators, within the framework of the "Atelier des Territoires" scheme.

This approach has led to a shared, quantified and spatialized vision of the programmatic and urban trajectory of the business district, with a horizon of 2035. The conclusions are intended to inform discussions on the future of Rives Défense.

The stakes of the Rives Défense project

Several key convictions guide the transformation project undertaken by Paris La Défense. The first is to open up the district to the Seine and reconnect it, as far as possible, to the natural ground.

The neighborhood benefits from an exceptional location facing the Seine and directly connected to Paris's main thoroughfare. This unique geography, however, must be revealed and enhanced by opening up the landscape to the river, which is currently largely obscured by buildings and road infrastructure. This will allow for new recreational and leisure activities directly linked to the Seine.

The neighborhood must also reconnect, as much as possible, to the natural ground and the city of Courbevoie, through the creation of a new topography. The concrete slab, currently impassable in places, would thus accommodate new functions on its blank facades and could recede at its edges, creating pedestrian and cycle paths from the ground and allowing for increased green spaces.

The project also aims to strengthen the mixed-use character of a district where residential buildings, offices, shops, and hotels have always coexisted. This diversity could be reinforced by developing the residential offering, renewing the office space, and capitalizing on existing buildings: preserving residential condominiums, the Ancre residence, and the Alto and First towers; optimizing the ground floors to enhance the commercial and service offerings; and rehabilitating and modernizing the buildings used for office space. Vertical extensions, restructuring, and enhancement will be some of the key elements of the project, perfectly aligned with the mission of Paris La Défense.

A major hotel complex could be developed to enhance the quality of service for all visitors to La Défense. The Saisons district currently has nearly 1000 rooms, suites, and apartments spread across four 3- to 5-star establishments. The performance of these hotels, their location, and the favorable results of studies on hotel capacity offer significant development opportunities. This hotel complex could be enriched with a range of services and leisure activities unique to the district and become a new destination in Greater Paris.

Paris La Défense also intends to make room for the exceptional. While not making it a prerequisite for development, Paris La Défense aims to enable the emergence of an iconic project that embodies the territory. Like the Grande Arche and, more recently, the Paris La Défense Arena, the organization is opening the door to an ambitious project with international reach.

Particular attention will be paid to the residents of this neighborhood, who have been in limbo for far too long. Initial, short-term responses must address the concerns of the residents and users of the area by proposing an innovative, collaborative approach.