La Maillerie _ Living Rooftop

La Maillerie, in the heart of the Lille metropolitan area, is a former industrial area transformed into a lively neighbourhood. Studio Mugo's project focuses on the redevelopment of the roof of the main building, the old epicenter of the textile production process transformed into a multifunctional place (offices, coworking and shops). 

The rooftop landscape is conceived as an opportunity to anchor the transformation of the neighbourhood in its everyday life and it does this by working on three complementary axes.

The roof as a public garden. A park open to the community in its daily life, organized with green areas for relaxation, spaces for activities (barbecues, pétanque, etc.) and open to original views of the surroundings. The garden lives by day and by night, also thanks to the presence of a guinguette, a French café-brasserie, frequented by workers, families or young people depending on the time of day.

The public garden as a place of pedagogy. The gardens occupy a large area of the total space and beehives are placed in the most inaccessible areas. An association manages the allotments dedicated, according to pre-established rules, to new and old inhabitants of the neighbourhood, organizing workshops on various themes and events to promote the Short Circuit. A beekeeper takes care of the bees, their health and honey production. Visitors to the park can observe the life of the potager throughout the seasons.

Biodiversity and environmental issues as a starting point. The plant palette of the entire roof is designed to create a self-sufficient biodiverse system that complements the large-scale context. In addition, not visible to the human eye but equally important, the entire surface of the building is designed as a horizontal rainwater retention basin, a support for combating calamitous events and for more effective irrigation management of the park. Finally, a solar panel system helps to make the building's energy consumption more sustainable.