Opened in 1975, this historic shopping centre in central Lyon, next to the railway station, has undergone a major renovation and extension programme, the key words of which are transparency, green spaces and openness to the city. Formerly occupied by a car park, the roof space has been transformed into terraces and gardens that now house restaurants (25), a new multiplex cinema (18 screens) and a tree-climbing site. The circulation system has been radically overhauled, with the creation of a new entrance (La Lanterne), the addition of monumental staircases to access the roof, and interior lifts and escalators. A 2,000-space car park has been built underground, and access by public transport has been facilitated.

Artelia was project manager for this project, which involved creating 32,000 m2 of additional retail space and renovating 60,000 m2 of existing shopping arcades. Now offering more than 160,000 m2 of retail space, Westfield La Part-Dieu has consolidated its position as one of Europe’s largest shopping centres. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield expects to welcome 40 million visitors a year by 2024, compared with the 35.6 million claimed before the works.