The view from the street gives little away.  I’d cycled past many times and walked along the other side of the wide avenue.  I’d seen the mix of ancient and modern buildings visible over the blank wall and thought ‘hospital’.  There’s a church in the complex, a number of ancient doors in a high wall and glimpses of stark twentieth century functionalism.  A common mix in Paris where most of the large hospitals have grown on the roots and grounds of ancient monastic foundations.

Yesterday I happened to be walking past with time to spare.  I paused to read the welcoming signs on the wall, ventured inside and was amazed by what I found.  After three centuries the hospital of Saint Vincent de Paul has vacated the three hectare site on Avenue Denfert Rochereau, leaving behind a patchwork of buildings large and small in stone, brick, concrete, timber and steel.  The city has plans for the development of a new residential quarter here but in the meantime there’s a social experiment in progress.  Writing about Paris I tend to overuse the word ‘extraordinary’ – what is ordinary here? – but in this case that word is surely appropriate.

Click on any photo to view the gallery.

 

Les Grands Voisins – a demonstration project which aims to show ‘that it is possible to create a space with multiple uses for the common good of everyone’
The view from the street gives no clue as to what’s now behind the wall.
Hospital entrance? Now the entrance to a living experiment in cooperation. Access for pedestrians and bikes only.
Street view at Les Grands Voisins – there are 600 residents in this temporary community including refugees, migrant workers and others in urgent housing need.
La Ressourcerie Creative – creative recycling and furniture for sale.
Beehives ready for the community apiary and a building awaiting tenants. The notices taped to the wall read ‘Under Renovation’ and ‘Please Don’t Occupy’
An Illusion of green outside a film and media studio – one of seventy start-up businesses accommodated on the site.
Plants for sale at Mama Petula’s garden centre.
Private terrace for one of the start-up businesses at Les Grands Voisins. Furniture and decking made (like so much else on this site) from recycled pallets.
Tents and cabins to hire by the night managed by Yes We Camp.
Outdoor washing facilities for the Yes We Camp site
A shiny new neighbour towers over a small re-purposed building

 

The website of Les Grands Voisins describes the aims, organisation and activities of the project in eloquent detail, with English translation.  It’s worth a look: here.  What the website doesn’t explain is how the city council are going to accommodate all this creativity, social action and general rootedness when the official redevelopment of the site starts in 2017. That’s going to take some working out.

 

This post is linked to the weekly Discover Challenge The Things We Leave Behind