Built at the end of the XVIIIᵉ century, the former La Rochefoucauld hospice remains largely unknown to Parisians. This old, disused hospital, surrounded by a shady, silent park, is intriguing because its gates have remained closed for years. But this curiosity will soon be satisfied: from summer 2025.
The garden will be transformed into a "tiers-lieu" for the summer period, and the entire site will be temporarily open to all. This summer transformation will be orchestrated by the Plateau Urbain cooperative, Actu.fr informs us, which is already renowned for having given new life to Césure, on the asbestos-ridden Sorbonne Nouvelle campus, or Grands Voisins, on the site of the former Saint-Vincent-de-Paul hospital.
The gardens of Hôpital La Rochefoucauld offer a rare green setting in the heart of Paris's 14th arrondissement. Covering almost a hectare, this wooded area designed in the XVIIIᵉ century adopts a neoclassical composition with its plane tree-lined avenues, symmetrical parterres and staggered groves, typical of French gardens thought out in a hygienist spirit. The site is also home to a remarkable piece of Parisian heritage: the "regard de Saux", a discreet stone edifice dating from the XVIIᵉ century, which was part of the Médicis aqueduct and bears witness to ancient hydraulic engineering.
The garden will be open every afternoon , as well as all day on Wednesdays and weekends, and will offer a cultural program as well as participatory events, conceived as a preamble to future uses. The program has yet to be announced, but it's a safe bet that it will appeal to all those looking for a lively, bustling terrace experience.
The idea is to test, in a real-life situation, what this transformed site could become by 2030: a mixed-use neighborhood integrating social housing (over 40%), an art gallery, a landscape school, an urban agriculture center and public green spaces. The project, imagined by Giboire & Galia in collaboration with Paris Habitat, focuses on heritage conservation and ecologically responsible adaptation.
For the duration of the summer, the former sanatorium will become an open, inclusive living space, combining exhibitions, concerts, artistic workshops, open-air screenings and relaxation areas. Located between avenue du Général Leclerc and avenue René Coty, just a stone's throw from Denfert-Rochereau, this site is a new haven of peace in the heart of a residential district.
One of the site's most precious assets remains its preserved, secret garden, a veritable oasis waiting to be reinvented. It's a great opportunity for local residents, and curious visitors from all over the capital, to reinvest in a place steeped in history, while dreaming of its future.
Location
La Rochefoucauld Hospital
15 Avenue du Général Leclerc
75014 Paris 14
Prices
Free
Official website
www.aphp.fr
