The beating heart of Courbevoie

Parc Freudenstadt, named after Courbevoie’s twin town in Germany, lies between the older streets and the city’s modern high-rise buildings. A local initiative to make the area greener, this public space provides a cool sanctuary for those seeking a break from the busy concrete streetscape. Attractive benches and beautiful, mature trees surround the park’s lively plaza with its children’s playground and huge dry fountain.

Courbevoie is a northwestern suburb of Paris, situated on the left bank of the Seine. With its centre just two kilometres from the city limits, Courbevoie is home to much of the famous La Défense business district.
City officials have set their sights on not only improving the quality of life in this densely populated area but also cooling the neighbourhood by making public spaces greener and creating more water-permeable surfaces. The Parc Freudenstadt development is linked to larger infrastructure projects in the city aimed at giving more space to public transport, pedestrians and bicycles while reducing car use.

Lyon-based landscape architects In Situ Paysage & Urbanisme designed this green oasis – an area that affords respite from the heat due to the planting of 50 new trees that complement the existing trees, the use of water-permeable paving and the installation of a large dry fountain with 226 water jets. Biodiversity with bursts of all-year-round colour is guaranteed thanks to the wide variety of shrubs and plants, a palette selected by the city.
Streetlife’s Rough&Ready range was chosen for this project, a line of furniture also found in other projects across Courbevoie and integral in helping to create harmonious public spaces with recognisable elements.

“The profusion of greenery provides a perfect counterbalance to the austere skyline of La Défense. Our intention was to create an accessible green area – a bridge between the towering skyscrapers and the everyday lives of residents,” says Anna Thomé, associate project manager at In Situ Paysage & Urbanisme.

Large Rough&Ready Loungers have been placed around the fountain – the beating heart of the park – and ensure unobstructed views of people playfully enjoying the water. Rough&Ready Curved benches follow the concentric layout of the water feature and are arranged in multiple rows, with and without backrests. These benches are also located next to the playground, and the wooden seating beams are comfortable to sit on even during the coldest months of the year.
Young and old alike can now enjoy the great outdoors all year round in Parc Freudenstadt.