Prairie du Cercle, Lawn in Parc de la Villette, Paris 19th arrondissement, France
Prairie du Cercle is a circular lawn in the Parc de la Villette in Paris's 19th arrondissement, set right along the Canal de l'Ourcq. It is divided into two halves, a quieter south side and a more active north side, shaped by views of nearby buildings and boat traffic on the canal.
The Parc de la Villette, where Prairie du Cercle sits, was built on the site of large slaughterhouses that finally closed in 1974. The transformation of the land began in the 1970s, and architect Bernard Tschumi designed the park as an open space with no walls or gates.
The Prairie du Cercle sits next to the Canal de l'Ourcq and is best seen from the bridges that cross the water. The south side is a calm lawn, while the north side looks out toward the Geode and the Universciences building.
The Parc de la Villette has no gates and is open at any hour of the day or night. Prairie du Cercle is easiest to spot from the bridges over the Canal de l'Ourcq, making those bridges a good starting point for exploring the area on foot.
The circular shape of the lawn is hard to make out from the ground, but becomes clear when seen from the bridges above the Canal de l'Ourcq. Standing on one of those bridges, a visitor can take in both halves of the circle at once.
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