Chemin des Carrières | Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter

Portes Bonheur – le Chemin des Carrières, the Quarries’ Track, is an undulating lace in the landscape. Our ambition behind the reconquest of the Rosheim-St Nabor railway in Alsace, France is to form an invitation to travel.

Rethinking The Future Awards 2020
Second Award | Public Landscape Project (Built)

Project Name: Chemin des Carrières
Studio Name: Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter
Design Team: Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter & Parenthèse Paysage
Area: Reconversion of a train track with cultural pavilions and installations, along an 11km long path
Year: Invited competition, 2016. Completed in 2019
Location: Rosheim, France
Consultants: Berest and Favier Verne engineers
Photography Credits: Florent Michel 11h45
Other Credits: Nouyrit steel factory, Vinci, Eurovia, and Alsavert

Ominous, sometimes hidden, the vestiges of the railway still mark the reading of the site. The desire to create a route to serve the quarries had to adapt to the landscapes of the sub-Vosges hills and tells the history of landscape and men. The journey to discover forgotten landscapes, or explore a different view on the everyday landscape, is addressed to both local users and tourists. Like the old track that offered a dual function (industrial and passenger transport), the route has a double vocation where the functional must rub shoulders with the imaginary of travel.

Along the 11km path goes a story, which the stops split into five chapters of different sequences of landscapes offering varied universes and highlighting remarkable sites. Unusual elements punctuate the way, aiming at awakening the visitor’s senses.

Rosheim tells the story of the past. Realized by intertwined circles in Corten steel, the pavilion has a labyrinthine character and plays with the irregular concave and convex interior, which the visitors are free to roam. The train tracks are conserved in the area and the sculpture is opened and closed to chosen views of the surrounding landscape allowing for sitting, viewing – reflection and contemplation.

Boersch tells the story of water. The river, which historically allowed connection to the world and tells about the true cleanliness of a place. It is a dynamic element in the landscape, running to the ocean. We enlarge the riverbed and build a large open space amphitheater to access the water, and make room for meetings between people.

Leonardsau tells the story of the land. After a long green tunnel, two large corten steel plates amplify the opening effect at the end of the forest corridor to the open landscape, embodying a gate and opening a perspective towards Mont St-Odile, which underlines the idea of discovery.

Ottrott tells the story of travel. As a former train station, the stop materializes the history of the railway and highlights the presence of the heritage (bridge, crane, pump…). The facilities at Ottrott offer the possibility of a subsequent change of space and connects the housing to historical elements and the landscape.

Saint-Nabor tells the story of luck. Closed for years and ongoing a “renaturalization” process, the quarries symbolize the reconquest of the vegetation on a former industrial site. On one of the highest platforms created by the machine, the traveler will discover the most spectacular work: a promontory in corten steel offering a wide view of the valley of Rosheim and the plains of Alsace. From this viewpoint inspired by a four-leaf clover, the visitor will feel lucky to enjoy the view of such a beautiful territory.