22 May 2019 Paris unveils historic plans for 54-hectare destination park at the Eiffel Tower By Andrew Manns
The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, called Gustafson Porter + Bowman's design concept for the park Photo: Courtesy of Gustafson Porter + Bowman
The city of Paris has selected London-based landscape design practice Gustafson Porter + Bowman (GP+B) to lead a €72m (US$80.3m, £63.5m) expansion of the Eiffel Tower's surrounding public realm.
Expected to dramatically enhance and diversify visitor experience at the iconic building, the project will see a variety of new spaces created, including a green amphitheatre at the Place du Trocadéro, two plazas (one on each side of the Pont d'Iéna bridge), a haute-cuisine restaurant, and a playground area.
The reimagined space will also feature walking and cycling paths, as well as a foliaged promenade that will link the Eiffel Tower, the Bir Hakeim bridge, and the Museum of Quai Branly.
"Our scheme aims to breathe new life into a historic landscape, creating a 21st-century destination for one of Paris' largest parks," said Mary Bowman, partner at GP+B.
A number of design and engineering firms are also attached to the project, among which are exhibition specialists dUCKS Scéno, heritage architects Atelier Monchecourt & Co, and infrastructure consultancy Bollinger-Grohmann.
The development, which is being financed by the Eiffel Company, is expected to be completed ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.