La Part-Dieu

Etymology Various theories attempt to explain the origins of the "Part-Dieu" name (literally "Property of God"). One possibility is that it derives from the tenacity with which several landlords managed to save pieces of land from the waters of the Rhône river. Another is that Guillaume de Fuer named his parcel "Pardeu" towards the end of the 12th century. A final theory holds that Marc-Antoine Mazenod donated his 140 hectares land to Hôtel-Dieu public hospitals after his daughter was miraculously saved, naming it "Gift from God". Farmlands Before the 1850s, La Part-Dieu consisted largely of rural floodplains. In 1737, the Mazenod-Servient family ceded the estate to the Hôtel-Dieu de Lyon public hospitals. The embankment of the Rhône river and construction of bridges (see Bridges of Lyon) from 1772 onwards reduced flood risks and facilitated urbanisation of the river's eastern bank. By the end of the 18th century, the La Part-Dieu estate was a substantial property situated between the Brotteaux and Guillotière districts. The completion of the Lafayette Bridge in 1872 accelerated eastward urban development, while reclaimed farmland was converted to wheat cultivation. Between 1830 and 1848, the city erected defensive walls against potential foreign invasions, and Montluc Fort was constructed in 1831, giving La Part-Dieu a military role. Owing to Lyon's administrative, urban, and geological complexity, the expansion of rail transport led to the creation of multiple stations; The Part-Dieu station at this time served exclusively as a freight terminal. Cavalry barracks In 1844, the public hospitals sold the land to the military administration, which built cavalry barracks between 1851 and 1863. Urban growth was constrained by the district's limited thoroughfares, as Rue Lafayette remained the only direct road link between La Part-Dieu and Central Lyon.The district was incorporated into the administrative boundaries of Lyon in 1852. To connect Lyon with Geneva, the Chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée constructed Gare des Brotteaux, necessitating the dismantling of the city's fortifications to make way for railway lines. Meanwhile, the military compound took on the orthogonal footprint of the original farm estate. The military compound retained the orthogonal layout of the original farm estate, and many cavalry units stationed there were mobilised during the First World War. At the beginning of the 20th century, Édouard Herriot was elected Mayor of Lyon, then the most prominent French city outside Paris due to its dynamic industrial and commercial activity. Influenced by the French hygiéniste urban movement, akin to Baron Haussmann's renovation of Paris, Herriot initiated extensive works to improve urban infrastructure and public spaces. The continued expansion of rail and road networks to the east transformed the La Part-Dieu marshalling yards. In 1926, an urban development plan inspired by American downtowns was proposed. The project evolved under the mandate of Mayor Louis Pradel, extending beyond housing to include the creation of an administrative centre and private office space for public services such as radio stations and police headquarters. The winning architectural design followed the principles of the Athens Charter, a modernist urban planning doctrine developed by Le Corbusier. Major rail node In 1974, a decision was taken to relocate the former Brotteaux station to La Part-Dieu, capitalising on its central position. Lyon Métro Line reached the site in 1978, with a station constructed beneath the shopping centre. Half of the marshalling yards were redeveloped into a large-scale real estate project to finance the new station, built on both sides of the railway tracks. The goal was to better integrate the district's rail infrastructure, linking central Lyon with its eastern neighbourhoods. In 1983, La Part-Dieu became the terminus of France's first high-speed rail line (TGV), connecting Lyon and Paris. However, major urban roads such as Boulevard Vivier-Merle continued to separate the business district and the station from central Lyon. == Urbanity ==

Urban and green space La Part-Dieu, home to approximately 21,000 inhabitants, extends on both sides of the railway line and is characterised by a mix of high-rise and low-rise architecture. According to the SPL Lyon Part-Dieu, the district located in Lyon's 3rd arrondissement is roughly bounded by Rue Garibaldi to the west (adjacent to the Rhône Docks and Place Guichard), Rue Juliette Récamier to the north (Brotteaux), Boulevard Maurice Flandin to the east (La Villette), and the former La Buire automotive plants to the south (ZAC de La Buire). The district's original development was modelled on the urban planning principles of La Défense in Greater Paris. The River Rize once flowed through La Part-Dieu but has since been channelled into a covered sewer system. Contemporary urban planning strategies focus on mitigating the urban heat island effects through the creation and enhancement of green spaces. For example, Rue Garibaldi—formerly a major urban thoroughfare—has been redeveloped as part of a green corridor linking Tête d’Or Park to Sergent Blandan Park and Gerland Park. Public spaces in the district include several plazas (Europe, Gérard Collomb, Voltaire, and Francfort), gardens (Jugan, Jacob-Kaplan, and Sainte-Marie-Perrin), Montluc Fort and Nelson Mandela Park. The district also retains century-old plane trees dating from the former cavalry barracks. == Governance ==

The current mayor of the 3rd arrondissement is environmentalist Véronique Bertrand-Dubois, who serves on the permanent commission of Lyon Metropolis as an adviser on urban housing, planning, and policy matters. The SPL Lyon Part-Dieu, a publicly owned local development corporation, acts as an operational body for local authorities. Established in 2014, it is governed by a board chaired by David Kimelfeld, president of Lyon Metropolis. The organisation employs around 20 staff working on urban, economic, and resource-related issues, and is responsible for managing, coordinating, promoting, and overseeing the La Part-Dieu redevelopment project. Lyon Metropolis has its headquarters in La Part-Dieu, in a brutalist-style constructed in the 1970s on Rue Garibaldi. The building accommodates hundreds of civil servants and regularly hosts meetings of local officials. Other key institutions in the district include the Police Headquarters, located in Fort Montluc, and the headquarters of SYTRAL Mobilités, the Lyon public transport authority. Urban services La Part-Dieu contains a range of urban amenities, including four sports facilities, nine private nurseries, concierge services such as dry cleaning and postal provision, primary schools, business schools, and the Manufacture des Tabacs campus of Jean Moulin University Lyon 3. == Economy ==

Regional and urban context The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, with a GDP of €250 billion, is the second-largest French and fourth-largest European region in terms of GDP. Approximately 70,000 companies are created there each year. It is the leading industrial region in France (employing 500,000 people in industry across 50,000 sites) and second in terms of exports (imports account for 11.2% and exports for 12.4% of France's total trade). Chemicals are the main export sector. According to a 2018 study by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC), Lyon is classified as a Beta- city, meaning that it is an important globalised city, instrumental in linking its region or state into the world economy. It is also a credible alternative to Paris, with a GDP of €74.6 billion and France's second-largest business park. Economic landscape Over half of the La Part-Dieu district's economic activity is dedicated to sustainable city and smart systems, showing growth of 16% between 2008 and 2013 and now representing more than 30,000 jobs out of 45,000 tertiary jobs and 60,000 total jobs inside the district. Key Figures • 1,150 000 m2 of office space • a flexible offer of 50 to 50,000 m2 • rents from €120 to €320 per m2 • 97% occupancy rate • 2500 companies == Landmarks ==

Skyscrapers and high-rise buildings The skyline is being shaped to reflect the Alpine mountain range. Tour UAP, built in 1974 at 75 m (246 ft), was demolished in 2014 to make way for the 202 m (663 ft) Incity Tower. Tour EDF, built in 1977 at 82 m (269 ft), was renovated and incorporated into the 129 m (423 ft) Silex² extension in 2021. Tour Caisse d'Epargne, built in 1976 at 63 m (207 ft), was demolished in 2024, to be replaced by Ki in 2026. Tour Incity Tour Incity, the tallest structure in Lyon, was designed by Valode & Pistre and AIA architects. The spire, which reaches 202 metres, was installed by helicopter. Around 2,700 employees work across 32 floors and share a single corporate restaurant. In addition, Tour Incity was the first tower in Lyon to obtain the low-energy consumption label, along with HQE and BREEAM Excellent certifications. It was completed in 2016 and currently hosts the regional headquarters Caisse d'Épargne and several branches of the SNCF. Tour To-Lyon A 170-metre office, hotel, and conference tower designed by Dominique Perrault Architecture, located beside the station and Béraudier Plaza, completed in late 2023. Tour Part-Dieu Completed in 1977, this 164-metres-tall building was designed by US-based architecture firm Cossutta & Associates for the main structure and by Stéphane du Château for its pyramid crown. Mainly occupied by office space, it also hosts a four-star Radisson Blu Hotel at the top. Originally named Crédit Lyonnais, it is now called Tour Part-Dieu, but is best known by its nickname, Le Crayon or the Pencil. Its Postmodern style is evident in the terracotta cladding made of pozzolanic sands, imitating the reddish tiles of Lyon, and in the main volume, which echoes the Tour Rose traboule in the Vieux Lyon quarter from French Renaissance. Tour Silex² Silex² is a contemporary 129-metre extension topped with a spire, adjoining an 80-metre Brutalist high-rise dating from the 1970s. It forms part of La Part-Dieu's modernisation plan, replacing the Tour EDF. Designed by Ma Architectes, the building provides larger office floorplates to meet demand and was completed in 2021. Tour Oxygène Tour Oxygène is a 115-metre-tall high-rise crowned by a leaf motif, reflecting the district's tradition of crowning tall buildings, such as Tour Part-Dieu. Its base serves as an extension and direct link to the La Part-Dieu shopping centre, along with an underground car park. Designed by Arte Charpentier Architects and constructed in 2010, Tour Oxygène reflects the dynamism that Lyon has experienced since the early 2000s. Tour Swiss life Tour Swiss Life was designed by Christian Batton and Robert Roustit and completed in 1989. It reaches 82 metres and houses many Swiss Life office spaces. The whole architecture is surrounded by moats and clad by typical late 1980s and early 1990s blue panels. The company launched a project of a 220-metre skyscraper called Swiss Life 2 (formerly Eva), to be built on the existing car park. Other landmarks Railway station Originally planned during the 1960s, Part-Dieu railway station opened in 1983 as part of a high speed rail line project between Lyon and Paris. It was designed by Charles Delfante, Michel Macary, Eugène Gachon and Jean-Louis Girodet, and serves as a link between Lyon and Villeurbanne, as its design allows pedestrian traffic beneath concrete rail viaducts. It is underwent major renovation and construction works, as it serves 120,000 travellers and up to 150 high-speed TGV trains per day. Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse La Part-Dieu covered food market is an international reference for French and Lyonnaise cuisine. Forty-eight merchants (including fishmongers, cheesemakers, bakers and pastry cooks, caterers, wine merchants and restaurateurs) work under the same roof, perpetuating the culinary traditions of Lyon, the gastronomic capital of France. In 1859, the city inaugurated its first indoor food market in Cordeliers, with 19th-century glass and cast-iron architecture easing trade for merchants and customers. In 1971, the new covered market opened in La Part-Dieu. Three decades later, the Halles were brought up to modern safety standards. They now bear the name of Paul Bocuse, the renowned Michelin-starred chef from Lyon. Around 600,000 people visited Les Halles during the 2015 Festival of Lights weekend. Shopping centre La Part-Dieu shopping centre was the largest urban mall in Europe when it opened in 1975. Built on the site of former cavalry barracks, it recalls the past with a car park named Cuirassiers (“Light Cavalry”). The centre has 240 shops and restaurants over five levels and attracts 35 million visitors a year. It also has a 14-screen multiplex cinema. Public transport has reinforced its position as a regional shopping hub. In 2010, the mall underwent a major extension linked to Oxygène Tower. It was later renovated to a design by Winy Maas. Large staircases function as street extensions to the rooftop, which has been converted into a landscaped public space offering panoramic views over the city. Original 1970s concrete-shell patterns have been reused on glass façades to allow natural light into modernised interior spaces. Auditorium Maurice Ravel This concrete structure, named after the Lyon-born composer Maurice Ravel, was designed by architect Henri Pottier, assistant to urban planner Charles Delfante. Although the new auditorium offered an impressive Roman theatre-inspired design, it initially lacked proper acoustics; several renovations have since resolved this. It currently hosts the Orchestre National de Lyon and houses a large organ from the former Trocadéro Palace, built for the 1878 Exposition Universelle. Bourse du Travail theatre The Bourse du Travail theatre was constructed between 1929 and 1936 in Art Deco style by Charles Meysson, chief architect of Lyon. Its façade is decorated with a large 1934 mosaic created by 35 mosaicists, based on a design by painter Fernand Fargeot, depicting “the city embellished by labour”, hence its name, “Labour Exchange” or Bourse du Travail. The interior features plasterwork and painted murals inspired by socialist realism. Municipal Library In July 1966, Mayor Louis Pradel initiated an experiment to create a “library of the future”. Covering 27,000 square metres across three levels, the building is organised into areas dedicated respectively to public reading, study, and research. A silo houses all historical documents from the former municipal library. The library is accessible to both university researchers and secondary school students. During the 1980s, its collections and services underwent large-scale computerisation. An entrance connecting the building to the train station plaza was only opened in the late 2000s. The library is currently undergoing renovation. City and Departmental Archives The City and Departmental Archives were established in Lyon following the French Revolution. Until 2014, documents from the Ancien Régime were stored in the vaults of the Hôtel de Ville. In that year, the collections were relocated to a new facility in La Part-Dieu, designed by Dumetier Design, Gautier-Conquet, and Séquences. The building, clad in golden panels and designed to meet high security standards, contains a consultation room that houses an extensive collection of maps (both public administrative and private), notarial records, and documents from the historical municipal library, dating from 861 to the present day. Lyon Metropolis headquarters The headquarters of Lyon Metropolis were constructed between 1976 and 1978 by René Gimbert and Jacques Vergély in the Brutalist style. Four large, square pier foundations support the suspended structure, which also serve as lift shafts. Above them, four interlocking concrete boxes form a crown. The mirrored curtain walls reflect the surrounding urban environment. Montluc Fort and Prison museum Montluc Fort was built in 1831, during the reign of Louis-Philippe, as part of Lyon's defensive belt, intended to protect the city from foreign invasions, particularly those by Prussia. In 1926, the fort was converted into Montluc prison. During the Vichy Regime, it served as a major centre for the deportation of Jewish people and as a prison for members of the French Resistance; Jean Moulin and Marc Bloch were among those incarcerated there. The site became a civilian prison in 1947 and was converted into a museum in 2010. Garibaldi swimming pool The Garibaldi Swimming Pool became Lyon's first indoor public swimming pool when it opened in 1933. Designed by architect C. Colliard and engineer Camille Chalumeau in the Art Deco style, it was constructed in only a few months. == Transportation ==

La Part-Dieu is one of Lyon's principal transportation hubs, encompassing : • a high-speed, regional, national, international and freight railway stationoffering: • Regional TER Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes services to Grenoble, Saint-Étienne, Clermont-Ferrand, Valence, Roanne, Bourg-en-Bresse, Chambéry and Annecy, and Geneva • Public bicycle-sharing stations • Four large public car parks • Major city arteries including Cours Lafayette, Rue Garibaldi, Cours Gambetta, Avenue Thiers and, Boulevard Vivier-Merle • Four road tunnels facilitating urban traffic flow (Vivier-Merle, Bonnel, Brotteaux and Servient) • Access to major European and National motorways, including the A6, A7 and E15 autoroutes near Perrache as well as Lyon's ring roads, within 20 minutes. • The historic city centre (Presqu’île) within 10 minutes by public transport, car or bicycle. == Education ==

La Part-Dieu is home to several private educational institutions, including ISG and MBway Business Schools, the Institut Polytechnique des Sciences Avancées (aeronautics and aerospace) and Sup'Biotech (biotechnology) engineering colleges. ==La Part-Dieu 2030==

in October 2022, with the To-Lyon tower under construction on the right Presentation of the project Since the 2010s, La Part-Dieu has been undergoing a major redevelopment. In 2014, Lyon Metropolis launched an extensive urban renewal programme in collaboration with the publicly owned local development corporation Société Publique Locale La Part-Dieu (SPL) and the AUC architecture firm. The total public and private investment is estimated at €2.5 billion. • Create a lively urban district by introducing ground-floor shops and services along high-footfall streets, and promoting leisure, cultural, and sporting activities for all ages throughout the week. • Brottier residence • Barre Desaix renovation • Infrastructure • New Railway station • Garibaldi street redesign • Boulevard Vivier Merle tunnels • Place de Francfort redesign • New car rental parking lot • 1,500-space bicycle station • Urban works • Mandela Park • Transformation of Boulevard Vivier-Merle • Construction of underground air-cooling facility to power district air-conditioning systems Projects under construction • Ki by Sou Fujimoto Atelier, Dream Paris, and EXNDO for a 50-metre mixed-use tower with office and residential space, street-level retail, and green rooftops, replacing the former Caisse d’Épargne headquarters near Tour Oxygène, constructed using reclaimed materials. • The Francfort Hotel by AIA Architectes, to be completed by 2027, will be 30 meters tall. • Vejjo offices • Audessa /Vertuo offices • Manufacture housing Proposed projects • Skyscraper projects: • Swiss Life 2, developed by Swiss Life, projected for completion in 2025 (200 m or 656 ft). • Tour M + M, developed by DCB International and designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, projected for completion in 2030 (215 m or 705 ft) • High-rise projects: • 6ème ART Lafayette by Clément Vergély, a 50-meter repurposed version of the Framatome Tower. • Cité administrative redesign • France TV redesign • Central Part-Dieu apartments • Infrastructure projects: • Extension of Lyon Métro Line E to La Part-Dieu • Greater Lyon rail bypass (CFAL) to reduce congestion at La Part-Dieu station • Construction of an underground railway station == Further reading ==