19th arrondissement Paris Pages

Parc de la Villette

This is the Porte de Pantin Metro entrance to the Parc de la Villette. The fountain with its eight lions is by Girard. Behind it is what used to be the part of the main slaughterhouse buildings, because like Parc Georges Brassens in the 15th Parc de la Villette is built over what was once a huge slaughterhouse and livestock market.

Below right are the Moulins de Pantin (flour mills of Pantin). These once ground and stored the flour that made the bread to feed Paris. Now they are empty and probably being converted into apartments or offices. They will have a wonderful view of the park whoever gets them.

Above is the Parc itself looking towards the Geode. This was opened in 1986 and has a screen of 1000 square metres. The outside is made of stainless steel, and acts like a mirror.

Parc de la Villette is built over 55 hectares as the "Park of the Future" by designer Bernard Tschumit. The slaughterhouse closed in 1979, so it is quite a new park. Inside the park, apart from the Geode cinema, there is the Museum of Science and Industry, Zenith a concert hall, Conservatoire National Superieur de la Musique et de a Dance, (the Paris

Conservatory of music and Dance) and it is the last resting place of the submarine Argonaute, below. All this makes for a rather unusual park. So if you visit the park and the weather changes, there are a number of things you can do indoors. This makes it a great place for children.

Above is a closer view of the Geode. The park has a number of raised walkways giving views over the park and down the canals that have now been cleaned, but which used to carry all the butchered carcasses and other foodstuffs into Paris.

Throughout the park there are a number of strange and interesting pieces of art. The is known as the buried bicycle. From left to right you can see part of a wheel, a pedal, one handlebar and the seat.