Ilex

Ilex paysage urbanisme has around 20 members whose comprehensive expertise in the fields of landscaping, architecture and urbanism finds expression in the development and adaptation of the space we inhabit. Guerric Péré founded Ilex in partnership with Martine Rascle and remains its director, working with three associates: Jean-Claude Durual, Claudine Thomas and Nadia Herbreteau. Ilex’s […]

Feyssine Park in Lyon is a gentle intervention in a well-established alluvial forest, executed on-site more than 20 years ago. The distinctively formal design language of the 90’s does not seem to obstruct the qualities of the park in any way. Moreover, the park turned out to be visionary and prophetic for its time, as nowadays, there is a widespread tendency to keep more of the untamed natural succession in city centres. The main part of the design is a system of paths that transverse the area or wrap it, as is the case of the circular path that surrounds a grove of poplar trees and orchids. With its strong axes, the park offers spacious vistas, clearings, views of the river Rhone and plenty of soft green tissue to escape the ‘too-muchness’ of urbanity.

The jury appreciated Feyssine’s reluctance to impress as its goal is to offer a simple, no-nonsense, yet high-quality open space on a very tight budget of 10 euros/m2 (early 2000s, app $1/ft2). It’s also worth noting the long-term relationship between the large-scale projects of several generations of contemporary landscape architects on large areas of land, reflecting the interpretive spirit of l’Ecole de Versailles, influenced by one of the founders, Michel Corajoud.

The Corniche des Forts Park is set within a network of parks that stretches over a 3 km long hillside of the French plain, in the towns of Lilas, Romainville, Pantin and Noisy-le-Sec, in the East of Paris. For safety reasons due to the presence of many underground galleries, this former gypsium quarry was closed […]