Place de la Libération
Dijon, France
MUNICIPALITY OF DIJON
Architect: WILMOTTE & ASSOCIÉS
6,000 sqm
2006
Redevelopment of the Place de la Libération in Dijon, opposite the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy.
Place de la Libération, known as Place Royale until 1972, is at the heart of Dijon's historic centre. In front of the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy, it was designed as a setting for a bronze equestrian statue of Louis XIV, which was destroyed during the French Revolution.
The car park has been replaced by café-restaurant terraces and the tarmac has been replaced by Burgundy stone paving. The water features of the three fountains and the mineral treatment give the hemicycle-shaped square a more contemporary look. The space is divided into bus lanes, restaurants, entertainment and rest areas. The Place de la Libération has also benefited from the introduction of a new traffic plan and the extension of the pedestrian area encompassing the square. Only urban transport vehicles are still allowed to drive along the town hall side of the square.
Due to the presence of archaeological remains beneath the square, it was not possible to create a planted square, so stone and water were the obvious choices. The water from the fountains is collected and recycled.
