Mossé Square and the banks of the Loire in Nevers by TN+ landscape architects

“No one is supposed to ignore the Loire” is a French expression—a pun on Loire and law—referring both to the immense geographical and historical heritage of the river and its landscapes, and to the untamable, unpredictable nature of its waters. The Loire is in fact one of France’s most wild and variable rivers. It has never truly been domesticated into a reliable waterway. For centuries, it has caused regular floods, and its bed is composed of treacherous shifting sands, long accused of swallowing the carefree bather.

The site of the Mossé Square and its embankments is located on the frontier between the majestic natural landscape and the historic city center. Like the imaginary city of Despina—suspended between sea and desert—in Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities, the Mossé Square embodies a kind of double threshold, a line of meeting. Coming from the North, this is where the city reaches the wide open riverscape; coming from the South, this is where the water touches the city and highlights its medieval riverfront.

Despite its exceptional setting, the old layout of the Square offered no pedestrian connection—neither to the city nor to the river—due to the heavy peripheral traffic. Although it provided an outstanding panoramic view over the Loire, it remained entirely isolated.

When we began working on the project, it became clear that the central task was to reconnect the place—both to Nevers and to the Loire—by honoring the pivotal position it should hold within the city’s structure. The main gesture of the project consists of cutting the existing volume of the Square almost in half, creating a gentle slope towards the river: a kind of green amphitheater opening out onto the Loire landscape. The excavated soil was then entirely reused on site to build a large vehicular and pedestrian ramp, bridging a 4-meter level difference between the bridge and the lower quays, and allowing direct access without having to bypass the Square. This reorganization of traffic ends the isolation and reconnects the square with the city, while a sequence of terraces descending towards the river restores a strong relationship to the water. With this single, radical movement of earth, the square and its layout were completely transformed.

The patrimonial context around the square obviously had a strong influence on design choices. We wanted a simple yet radical concept, but the rest of the design and materials—paving, furnishings, etc.—had to show the utmost respect for the site’s noble surroundings. To highlight the value of the historic facades, the paving is made entirely from local limestone. The final choice of tone and veining was made in collaboration with, and validated by, the State Conservation Architect. This same stone, with different finishes, ties the square together—from the large retaining wall to the paving, the stairs, and the bleachers.

Given the site’s immediate proximity to the Loire, permeability was essential. The belvedere at the former square level is surfaced in stabilized sand, while the terraces of the amphitheater are paved with limestone joints progressively widened into green seams. We developed a custom seed mix of indigenous herbaceous species to gradually colonize these joints, adapting to trampling and changing weather conditions. The existing lime trees, which had been planted far too densely, were thinning and unhealthy. We removed the most vulnerable specimens to provide space and light for the remaining ones. A mix of oak and alder trees now gradually takes root along the terraces.

Thanks to its transformation, Mossé Square has become one of the city’s key venues for seasonal events and the changing rhythms of the Loire. From the belvedere at the original level of the square, visitors now enjoy a panoramic view of the river plain. They can sit on the large wooden benches or stone bleachers of the terraces to watch wildlife, then pass through the generous new opening to reach the river itself and continue their walk along the riverbank promenade, which extends the project. Toward the west, large lawn areas provide a simple foreground for the medieval buildings of the riverfront and form a transitional threshold to the imposing medieval ramparts beyond.

• All landscape architecture offices involved in the design of landscape:
TN+ landscape architects / Team leader, Conception, Construction Supervision
Rodolphe Chemière / Landscape architect, local partner for the Construction supervision

• Other credits:
URBATEC / Civil engineer
Atelier Roland Jeol / Lightning design

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