At the point where the Saône and the Rhône rivers converge lies a 150-hectare former industrial site, surrounded by wooded hills and adjacent to the old inner city.

The area is deeply rooted in the history of Lyon because of the exceptionally unique landscapes it possesses and it will now form a big part of its future as the location of one of the most ambitious city-centre development projects ever undertaken in Europe; the Lyon Confluence.

The project, which is focused on sustainable development, will double the city’s downtown core population – a rarity in European urban developments today - providing a fantastic challenge for Lyon and the opportunity of a lifetime for its residents.

ARCADIS lay the groundwork for this high-quality development, through its early participation. We managed the landscaping, concrete-building operations and lift trucks in order to help create a cutting edge recreational and commercial centre that was successfully completed in September 2009.

Sustainability was provided through soil surveys, also conducted by ARCADIS. This determined the risk level of the non-toxic domestic and industrial waste backfill, enabling the striking new building of the iconic Musée des Confluences to go ahead.