Jardin de Reuilly-Paul-Pernin, Urban park in 12th arrondissement, France
The Jardin de Reuilly-Paul-Pernin is a 15,200 m² park in the 12th arrondissement, built on the former Reuilly station site. Its centre is a sloping semi-circular lawn of 4,200 m², crossed overhead by the Passerelle André-Léo, a grey metal footbridge designed by Pierre Colboc and engineer Ghassan Tayoun. Around the lawn are small themed gardens, a fountain dispensing still and sparkling water, and a grotto built with meulière stones salvaged from the demolition site.
In 1988 SEMAEST launched a competition to lay out a garden on the former Reuilly station grounds; architect Pierre Colboc was chosen and work began in 1989. The footbridge and garden followed the rehabilitation of the Viaduc des Arts and the Coulée verte. On 13 February 2014 the garden was renamed in honour of Paul Pernin (1914–2006), mayor of the 12th arrondissement from 1983 to 1995, in the presence of Bertrand Delanoë.
Four statues stand in a circle around the lawn: Amazone by Georges Chauvel, La Danse by Charles Malfray, and two female nudes by Naoum Aronson and Raymond Delamarre, the latter also called Aux peuples opprimés. The architect Pierre Colboc chose them from the reserves of the city parks department. The garden's name honours Paul Pernin, mayor of the 12th arrondissement from 1983 to 1995.
The garden lies at the junction of avenue Daumesnil and rue de Charenton, opposite the 12th arrondissement town hall; its official address is 15, rue Albinoni, and metro line 8 stops at Montgallet. A staircase by Pierre Colboc links the lower rue de Charenton level to the garden and the upper esplanade Montgallet. The Passerelle André-Léo carries the Coulée verte René-Dumont over the lawn, midway between the Viaduc des Arts and the sunken section.
The grotto section reuses meulière stones recovered from the demolition work on the site, and its layout was drawn to recall Gaudí's Park Güell in Barcelona. Above it, on the place along rue Jacques-Hillairet, a sundial made by Régine and Jean-Loup Doucet was installed. The original project also planned a water wall flowing in front of the large meulière retaining wall on rue de Charenton.
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