Jardin des Curiosités, Urban park in 5th arrondissement, Lyon, France.
The Jardin des Curiosités is a 6,000-square-metre park on the slopes of Fourvière hill in Saint-Just, Lyon, entered through a double gate and reached by a gently curving path. Its spaces are arranged in themes: a lawn bordered by light-leaved trees facing the Saint-Just lycée, a sandy terrace taking the reddish tone of Lyon's roofs facing the city and the Saône, a small bridge recalling Montreal's Jacques-Cartier Bridge, a walled area with a panorama over southern Lyon, and a wooded slope to the north. Six chair sculptures by Michel Goulet are sealed to the ground.
The garden was created in 2001 to commemorate two decades of partnership between Lyon and Montreal, marking a period of shared urban planning interests. This project emerged from architectural collaboration and exchange between the two cities.
The metal seating sculptures by artist Michel Goulet invite visitors to pause and observe the city from framed viewpoints. These sculptural benches transform ordinary viewing into a designed experience where the surroundings become part of the artwork itself.
The garden is accessible by the Saint-Just funicular railway departing from Vieux Lyon metro station, followed by a short walk along Trion Street. The site involves some walking on uneven terrain due to its terraced layout.
A sand terrace creates a vantage point overlooking Lyon's rooftops, emphasizing the tactile, hand-crafted quality of the garden design. A small bridge within the site references the Jacques-Cartier Bridge linking Montreal to its surroundings.
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