La Part-Dieu, one of the biggest urban shopping centres in France and the biggest downtown shopping centre in Europe, was redeveloped to provide a new shopping experience to the visitors.
La Part-Dieu owner Unibail Rodmaco Westfield executed the redevelopment project with an investment of €390m ($430m), which marked the mall’s biggest renovation since its opening in 1975.
The redevelopment was a key component of the project that includes renovations of the Part-Dieu business district and train station. The district redevelopment includes new office buildings, housing, and improved public spaces.
Construction of the shopping centre redevelopment began in March 2018 and was completed in June 2021.
La Part-Dieu shopping centre location
The La Part-Dieu shopping mall is located in the Part-Dieu district, Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France.
It is situated in the country’s second largest business sector, which is home to the main La Part-Dieu train station. The location also offers a direct connection to the tramway.
La Part-Dieu shopping centre renovation details
The La Part-Dieu redevelopment project added 30,279m² (325,920ft²) of gross leasable area and public space to the existing shopping centre.
The new developments comprised a 5,800m² (62,430ft²) cinema complex, a 7,000m² (75,347ft²) restaurant space, and 19,200m² (206,667ft²) for 80 new shops.
The lower levels of the building continue to house retail stores following the renovation while certain half-levels are used for parking.
The main entrance in the east was renovated to allow visitors access from the Part-Dieu railway station.
New stairways, escalators, and a new walkway across the east-west portion of the street offer improved access to the building.
La Part-Dieu shopping centre design details
The design of the shopping centre was based on the idea of integrating the building into the surrounding area of the district.
The upgrade involved a new facade to allow natural light into the building. The terraces on the south facade were improved to provide a direct connection with the Lyon public library.
The technical facilities and car park on the top floor of the shopping centre were also renovated to incorporate a rooftop terrace, with a garden and cinema. Visitors can reach the roof garden and the stairwells to enjoy sweeping views of Basilica Fourvière and the Metallic Tower.
A de-polluting coating was applied to the concrete panels to improve the air quality. The top level of the building was glazed with glass openings and stairwells to create the illusion of open space.
Retail, dining, and entertainment at La Part-Dieu shopping centre
With more than 240 retail stores, La Part-Dieu shopping centre attracts 31.1 million visitors a year. The major retail brands housed in the mall include Primark, Superdry, Desigual, Pylones, The North Face, and Make Up Forever, among others.
It houses restaurants featuring different cuisines, with options ranging from fast food to gourmet, such as Haagen Dazs, Mama Istanbul, Neo Sushi, KFC, and Starbucks.
Inaugurated in June 2021, the Rooftop features the ‘Les Tables’ dining centre with a 4,000m² (43,055.6ft²) glass roof. The Les Tables dining area is filled with natural light and offers 25 dining concepts such as Big Fernand (gourmet burgers), Cooper Branch (vegetarian canteen), L’Atelier Artisan Crêpier (Breton crepes and galettes), and Panasia (Asian bistronomy).
The Rooftop provides 7,000m² (75,347.3ft²) of hanging gardens where visitors can walk and enjoy views and fresh air. The park’s vegetation provides shaded areas for visitors to relax while also supporting biodiversity. The garden is also designed to help reduce rainwater run-off.
A 700m² (7,534ft²) Hapik indoor and outdoor climbing facility on the Rooftop includes 8m-high, self-bracing climbing walls, a giant outdoor tree climbing course, and lower walls for first-time climbers. It is open for children aged four and above years.
Furthermore, the new rooftop houses an 18-screen UCG cinema complex, which was opened in September 2021.
Other amenities at La Part-Dieu shopping centre
Other amenities at the mall include Wi-Fi, resting areas, children’s playing area, pushchairs, and bottle warmers.
The redevelopment increased the number of parking spaces at the shopping centre to 3,150 vehicles.
Contractors involved
MVRDV, a Dutch architecture firm, was appointed as the architect for designing the new facilities while French architecture firm SUD was the co-architect.
Artelia, an engineering consultant, provided engineering and project management services. It was selected to provide design and construction supervision services for fluid networks for the expansion.
It was responsible for the co-ordination of studies, construction economics, design and supervision of utilities, and building information management (BIM).
VRD was contracted as the structural consultant for the redevelopment project. Engineering consultancy services were provided by WSP and Y Ingénierie.
Cyprium acted as the economic adviser for the project while Socotec served as the technical controller. BASE was contracted for landscaping services.
VP&Green was engaged as the facade consultant while PCSI acted as the fire safety consultant.
Prehorquisa, a Spanish prefabricated architectural concrete supplier, was selected to supply and install panels for the facade of the shopping centre’s renovation.
Holcim, a Swiss building material supplier, supplied 2,000 Ductal® ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) panels to redevelop the facade.
A consortium of Léon Grosse and GCC was selected for the construction of the renovation project. It installed the UHPC facades, with UHPC parts glued to the glazing, and elevated the mall’s roof.
Lasa, an acoustic and vibration engineering firm, was contracted to provide technical advice for 3D acoustic modelling and outdoor heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC).
It assisted in the development of sound and vibration quality monitoring systems at the site.
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