Major renovations at Buttes-Chaumont: what’s coming to the park in the 19th arrondissement

Attention, longtime visitors of the 19th arrondissement: the Buttes-Chaumont Park is on the verge of its most significant transformation in 150 years. With an unprecedented budget of 85 million euros, the City of Paris has launched a major overhaul to stabilize its cliffs, restore its iconic features, and prepare the park for future climate challenges. Here’s the timeline and the areas affected.

Originally opened for the 1867 Universal Exhibition, the Buttes-Chaumont Park is a marvel of engineering... but also notably fragile. Built atop old gypsum quarries, it is now plagued by subsidence, water infiltrations, and cracking. Currently, roughly 5% of its area is closed to the public for safety reasons. To guarantee its preservation, a massive restoration project has been launched, aiming to safeguard one of Paris's largest parks.

The Schedule

The project is progressing according to a timeline approved by the City of Paris, with work having started in late 2023. Notably, the clearing of the lake is scheduled for early 2025, marking a key step in its rehabilitation.

2023-2025: Completion of the public consultation phase and beginning of urgent emergency works (soil stabilization through mortar injection at the Great Cascade).
2026: A year dedicated to in-depth technical studies. Detailed diagnostics will be carried out on structures (bridges, cliffs, caves) to determine the appropriate intervention methods.
End of 2027: The official start of major construction works. The project is expected to take approximately 6 to 7 years, until 2031.

Priority Areas for Restoration

The renovation will focus on the heart of the park, where the landscape is most dramatic:

Belvédère Island: Mostly closed off, the island is set to undergo full stabilization. The goal is to eventually reopen the famed Path of the Needles.
The Cave and the Waterfall: These artificial rock formations, made with cement to mimic natural stone, are deteriorating. Restoration work will bring them back to their 19th-century appearance.
Biodiversity: The project includes modernizing stormwater management, diversifying plant life to better withstand heatwaves, removing invasive non-native species, and establishing wildlife refuges.

Why are these repairs essential?

It’s not just about aesthetics. The park sits on a “Swiss cheese” type of ground that shifts and shifts beneath your feet. The renovations led by the General Inspection of Quarries (IGC) and the BRGM aim to prevent landslides and falling rocks. In the long run, this work should allow the reopening of some iconic spots that are currently off-limits, like the Sybille Temple or certain lakeside areas. But don’t worry—you’ll still be able to enjoy most of the park during these improvements!

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