Masterplan for Paris La Defense

Image: Paris La Défense’s new ‘Cœur Transport’ hub.- courtesy Grimshaw

Grimshaw reports, together with Lafayette and setec tpi, that the firm has been working to design the masterplan for Paris La Défense’s new ‘Cœur Transport’ hub. This strategic redevelopment project aims to support the transformation of one of the Greater Paris region’s busiest multimodal stations.

Serving more than 30 million passengers every year, the ‘Cœur Transport’ hub rates among the Greater Paris region’s major interchanges. Located within an increasingly denser urban context, the station has had to accommodate growing flows of passengers over time despite limited space, laying bare the inadequacy of the current design.

The La Défense Transport Hub Masterplan Project was launched in 2024, part of a broader initiative supported by public sector organisations and transport operators at large.

Following a call for tender from Paris La Défense and Paris transport operator RATP, Grimshaw, alongside Lafayette and engineering consultancy setec tpi, was selected to masterplan the interchange’s concourse and access points.

Led by Paris La Défense and RATP, the commission is the result of a wide-ranging effort to improve the hub’s overall performance — a critical concern with the future connection to line 15 of the ‘Grand Paris Express’, set to open in 2031 — and alleviate traffic at the Calder Miro exit, which leads to the bus hub of the same name.

Grimshaw says:

'Projected over 24 months in three successive phases, from assessment to master planning, the commission seeks to optimise performance and navigation while addressing requests including more controlled passenger flows, the integration of new modes of transit, and the enhancement of passenger spaces.

'In addition to those functional concerns, the project also questions the quality of passengers’ experience in an environment that is currently fragmented and lacks clarity.

'The approach developed by Grimshaw proposes a radical transformation of the infrastructure’s perception and use. It prioritises carving vertical connections through the compartmentalised levels, opening up views and circulations from the concourse to the plaza above, to enhance spatial quality and wayfinding all the way down to the lower levels of the station. 

'The redefinition of flow routes will also provide a better response to the integration of the lines connected successively since the station opened.

'Another important aspect of the project focuses on the redistribution of passenger flows, now heavily polarised to the East and West, to recreate a sense of centrality and optimise circulation paths throughout the hub.

'By facilitating access from the plaza above and enhancing below-ground environments, the project recontextualises ‘Cœur Transport’ within the urban fabric. The station is unearthed to become an integral part of the city, contributing to an urban and functional continuum linking infrastructure with public space.'