Rejuvenating a site brimming with high-value heritage
Toulouse University Hospital Centre was seeking to turn some of its buildings into housing, shops, services and facilities. The project aims to give all residents access to an historic neighbourhood, while generating revenue to fund upgrades for the hospital’s research buildings.
A listed architectural heritage site nestled in a remarkable natural setting
Tucked away in the heart of the city in the Saint-Cyprien district, the La Grave hospital complex is an architectural gem and invaluable slice of history, boasting some remarkable trees and some of the city’s most iconic buildings, with several dating back to the 16th century.
The site falls under the wider heritage preservation and development plan (plan de sauvegarde et de mise en valeur du patrimoine, PSMV) currently being developed by Toulouse Métropole, which includes a series of guidelines and frameworks aimed at protecting and developing Toulouse city centre’s history and heritage, while encompassing energy transition, accessibility and social diversity.
The forthcoming La Grave district will need to account for several constraints, namely architectural and heritage constraints intended to protect views of the site’s listed buildings, accessibility factors, its flood-prone location on the banks of the Garonne, and the complexities of its ownership structure, with part of the site already managed by the city council.
A rock-solid partner to propel long-term vision
In light of the complex regulations surrounding the plans and the many different stakeholders involved (Toulouse University Hospital Centre, the City of Toulouse, Toulouse Métropole and the Bâtiments de France board architect), this long-term project is scheduled to unfold over a decade or more.
The University Hospital wants to retain a gerontological research centre and its health prevention facilities at the heart of the new district. Beyond the technical interface of separate buildings that currently function together, the University Hospital has ambitions for the living environment of its healthcare staff and the residents who come for consultations.
To do so, Toulouse University Hospital Centre reached out to the group spearheaded by the Egis Consultancy team (heritage architect AARP and the LexLead legal firm) for 360-degree guidance and operational support (technical, legal, financial and organisational) to cover all stages from the project’s upstream pre-consultation development phase to signing the deed of sale.
