Saint Sernin
The Basilica of Saint-Sernin, a masterpiece of Romanesque art, is one of the most iconic monuments of Toulouse. A stage on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Grand Saint-Sernin project includes the redevelopment of the square, the restoration of the religious building and the promotion of its cultural heritage.
The key elements of the public space redevelopment project are to promote the place’s heritage and to increase the presence of greenery, with the aim of combining the promotion of heritage with consideration for future uses. This has resulted in the creation of a quiet space, with the elimination of parking space and vehicle traffic, where noise, pollution and visual clutter are reduced. The unique space surrounding Saint Sernin has thus regained its true status as a square.
The project proposes to create a unitary space around the basilica while at the same time creating different areas with their own (individual) character, rooted in the history of the place. The redevelopment of the public space also offers the opportunity to create real public gardens for local residents, who enjoy very few green areas. The project builds on existing landscape structures, such as the gardens of the Lycée and the beautiful garden surrounding and protecting the apse and its apsidal chapels. This 19th-century garden has been enlarged and opened to the public so that it can be integrated as a daytime urban space. The cloister and the abbey dwelling to the north of the Basilica are evoked in the form of a raised garden.
The Basilica of Saint-Sernin, a masterpiece of Romanesque art, is one of the most iconic monuments of Toulouse. A stage on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Grand Saint-Sernin project includes the redevelopment of the square, the restoration of the religious building and the promotion of its cultural heritage.
The key elements of the public space redevelopment project are to promote the place’s heritage and to increase the presence of greenery, with the aim of combining the promotion of heritage with consideration for future uses. This has resulted in the creation of a quiet space, with the elimination of parking space and vehicle traffic, where noise, pollution and visual clutter are reduced. The unique space surrounding Saint Sernin has thus regained its true status as a square.
The project proposes to create a unitary space around the basilica while at the same time creating different areas with their own (individual) character, rooted in the history of the place. The redevelopment of the public space also offers the opportunity to create real public gardens for local residents, who enjoy very few green areas. The project builds on existing landscape structures, such as the gardens of the Lycée and the beautiful garden surrounding and protecting the apse and its apsidal chapels. This 19th-century garden has been enlarged and opened to the public so that it can be integrated as a daytime urban space. The cloister and the abbey dwelling to the north of the Basilica are evoked in the form of a raised garden.