EN IMAGES. Discover the novelties of the Quartier Libre de Rouen, successor of the Friche Lucien
By Mathieu Normand
Published on
It swarms at Free District of Rouenwhile the launch scheduled for April 1, 2022 come fast. The successor to the Friche Lucien, installed on the same site on the left bank, near Place Carnot, returns for ten years, uninterrupted and on a larger site, around 8,000 m². Atelier Lucien, which manages the premises, invited the editorial staff of 76news to discover this redesigned space.
The teams, swollen in number – with nearly 35 to 40 people -, and to block, prepare the reunion with the public. The sign at the entrance has changed, but the philosophy has remained the same. “Those who are used to going to the Wasteland for leisure or association purposes will find exactly that in the Quartier libre, but in addition… more! enthused Simon Ugolin, one of the managing partners.
New spaces to discover
Soon, guinguette-style garlands, flags and a painted sign installed on the street will mark the entrance to the Quartier Libre. The Atelier Lucien thought of it as a small village organized around a central artery called “for the joke” the avenue de la Liberté. Regulars will find the Popote restaurant, which will be expanded with an indoor room, the Troquet bar, the creative village with a few new shops, the Garten with its marquee, and the Agora, of course, with a large illuminated sun, stages for shows and concerts, a bar and Les Tendres normands, “KFC sans laguilt”, which offers tenders of chicken in short circuit and zero waste.
Who says more space also says new spaces. The public should see some coming out of the ground throughout the season. “We like the idea of transparency, showing how things are made, the sheaths, the structures, etc. It comes from the fact that we are architects and we find it good to show people not a finished place, but something that will be in perpetual evolution throughout the season. »
Among the newcomers, we find the Fait-social, a place between the café-coworking and the cultural bar, also conducive to welcomingafterworks dancing than encounters and debates. It will be located at the entrance, just before the children’s area, reserved for children, where they can play in a bus donated by Transdev or in the Clos Masure, an orchard with games. On the other side of the site, the arrival of the Bicoque will make it possible to use a cocktail ladle, “a request from the public to bring out wine and beer” served normally.
A 500 m shared garden2
There is even too much space for Atelier Lucien alone. Thus, the Pampa is open to external projects. The first of these is the blue garden. “It’s an association, Les bleu-es de la Friche, friends who gravitated around the Lucien wasteland, who ran the glitter stands, that sort of thing. At their disposal 500 m² to set up a shared garden. In the same spirit, L’Atelier wishes to support the installation of activities. “Ideally studio-galleries”, installed in containers, “where we see people making things and where we can interact with them”.
A rich program
The first weekend will have accents of celebration, commitment and reunion with the public. It will begin on Friday with a parade with Agogô percussion, which will leave from Saint-Marc Square to wander to the Quartier Libre and connect the two shores. Saturday is the return of parentheses from 2 p.m., “with all the friends”. A dozen DJs are programmed. “It’s stressful to start, so we prefer to do it with people we love,” says Simon Ugolin. Finally on Sunday, the Quartier Libre will offer a new type of event, the forum for those involved in the rights of feminism, LGBTQI+, animal rights, solidarity and ecology. “We will ask the question of why engage, comment and what are the different forms of engagement. »
A very rich program will follow until October for this first summer season, with some beautiful headliners announced as Etienne de Crécy, Arnaud Rebotini or Fakear. “The venue has a scale that is clearly not the same as before, and we have gained experience in setting up this type of event, which means that we can attract artists much bigger than before. ‘ ‘Before. There will also be other events, such as night markets. “It evokes a bit of holidays with local craftsmen, good wine, a gypsy jazz trio, in seaside resort mode but without the sea.”
Things would then calm down in the fall and winter when part of the Free District will hibernate. Only Popotte interior, the social fact and the projects located along the avenue de la Liberté should remain open to the public. Without forbidding oneself to leave the tables and party, if the Indian summer comes to the fore.
EN IMAGES. An overview of the Quartier Libre before the opening:
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