The idea was to transform “this vast automobile traffic circle into a peaceful, pedestrianized and planted space”. This Thursday, March 27, 2025, marks a new stage in the redevelopment of the Place de la Concorde. And with good reason: the winner of the project has just been announced. The winner is architect Philippe Prost, who will install huge lawns on the iconic Parisian square.
Place de la Concorde to be transformed into a “garden square
For several weeks now, the 39 or so potted palm trees installed on Place de la Concorde have been attracting the attention of local residents. What if these exotic plants were the first signs of a radical change for the historic Parisian square?
In 2024, the City of Paris launched a call for projects to give a new face to the famous Place de la Concorde. A total of five project management teams were selected, bringing together diverse skills in terms of landscape, mobility, safety and street furniture. The project’s ambition? To restore the radiance of Paris’s largest square, which had been criticized for becoming a huge traffic circle. But how do you reconnect with the square’s plant heritage, while preserving its architectural elements and historic decor?
131 trees planted, huge lawns… A $36-38 million project, financed by the City of Paris
On Thursday March 27, the winner of the Place de la Concorde redevelopment project was announced. At a press conference held at the Hôtel de Ville, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo announced the lucky winner, Philippe Prost. Winner of the Grand Prix national de l’architecture in 2022 for his body of work, the renowned architect is best known for his renovation of the Hôtel de la Monnaie de Paris in 2010.
To give a new face to the Parisian square, the architect will be accompanied by the Bruel-Delmar landscape studio. But in concrete terms: what will change on the Unesco World Heritage square? Broadly speaking, Philippe Prost wants to reduce the amount of car traffic. Among the major changes: huge lawns installed in the center of the square. Costing between 36 and 38 million euros and financed by the City of Paris, the project also includes the restoration of flowered ditches and the planting of 131 trees. In addition, 50% of the square will be made permeable, allowing the ground to cool down by 8 degrees. These changes will be implemented over the course of 2026, on the 8 hectares of the Place de la Concorde.
Source : Le Parisien