Viparis food co-op answers Mayor’s call for architectural projects 

Paris venue consortium Viparis has had a major project chosen by the city’s Mayor under the 2nd edition of ‘Reinventing Paris’ (Beneath the City) transformation scheme. Following a call for innovative urban projects to transform Paris’s underground spaces, ‘Peace&Log’, a sustainable architectural project, was chosen by the Mayor of Paris and a jury of urban planning experts and elected officials. The project will be located at Espace Champerret – an event venue managed by Viparis. By alleviating vehicle traffic in connection with Espace Champerret, the Peace&Log project aims to improve the quality of life in the surrounding district as well as promote urban agriculture. It is a unique initiative that fully develops the potential of the venue’s lower levels while spotlighting short food supply chains. By separating traffic flows associated with the Espace Champerret’s activities from the public sphere, Peace&Log aims to optimise the venue’s logistics while improving residents’ quality of life. Delivery vehicles will have access to a dedicated dock – a former service station – located in a lower level of Espace Champerret The project was designed by Hérault Arnod architectures and turns the spotlight on short food supply chains with the creation of Paris’s first multimodal food co-operative. Viparis and its partner Agripolis will use the transformation of the Espace Champerret site to set up the first multimodal food co-operative. Part of the produce offered for sale will come from the world’s largest urban rooftop farm located atop the future Pavilion 6 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. The farm is expected to open in late 2019. A staircase and elevator allowing pedestrians to access the co-operative are part of a micro-structure connecting the street and lower levels. This sculptural element, clad in Corten steel will act as a visual reference and signpost for the redesigned lower level, which is invisible from the roadway. The staircase will provide a protective cocoon with views of elements of the urban landscape. At the same time, an innovative baggage management platform run by Eelway will allow visitors to Espace Champerret to check their luggage, encouraging them to use public transport rather than taxis. “Peace&Log is an innovative, sustainable architectural project that underscores Viparis’s goal to create authentic living spaces that are fully a part of their urban environment,” noted Pablo Nakhle Cerruti, CEO of Viparis. To learn more about the project, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leRie31yQbI Viparis, a subsidiary of the Paris Ile-de-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and manages nine event venues in the Greater Paris region.