Viaduc des Arts

About

The Viaduc des Arts is a converted train line located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris which is now both a series of workshops for highly skilled artisans and, on the top level, the Promenade Plantée, a linear park. It was formerly the "Viaduc de Bastille," for the trains of the Paris-Bastille-Vincennes line. This repurposing project was designed by the architect Patrick Berger under the direction of the SEMAEST, a private-public consortium for infrastructure development. The vaults of the Viaduc now host the workshops of artisans working in such diverse areas as glass blowing, furniture manufacturing and jewellery making. Thus, the Viaduc preserves the 12th arrondissement’s tradition of skilled craftsmanship.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.