Church square – GLISY (Somme)
RetourCompletion year 2005
Contracting Authority Municipality of Glisy
Mission Renewing the church square
Project Management Team Landscape architects and designers Laure Planchais (mandated agent), Architect Mehdi Dellagi (rammed earth benches)
Surface area 7,200 m²
Budget €132,000 exc. VAT
Ratio €19 exc. VAT per m²
The Glisy church is located on the edge of the Somme valley plateau, which it overlooks. About thirty years ago, a hedge of thuja was planted around the area, gradually blocking the panoramic view across the distant landscape which could be admired from this foremost public space in the village. Consequently, the project has revived the natural lookout provided by the church square by removing the hedge and thinning out the woods that had grown along the bank below. We created a peripheral walkway lined with lime trees (to be trimmed into a screen) in order to highlight the focus upon the valley landscape.
The vicinity of the church was restructured in such a way as to produce a link between the church and the war memorial. Perennial plant flowerbeds were marked off and contained in wooden structures of a constant height, emphasising the land’s natural slope.
The marsh in the valley was given improved access and appeal by setting up a monumental stairway leading from the square, which links directly to an existing subway running beneath the railway line.
Feedback (2009)
- Although the rammed earth benches were actually manufactured, they have not been installed on the site.
- A handrail (made of treated wood and apple green metal!) was installed after the stairway was completed, in order to obey new accessibility requirements which had not been in effect during the design phase.